Florida to open another immigrant prison camp--Deportation Depot
Gov. Ron DeSantis has come up with yet another alliteration following Alligator Alcatraz
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sure is fond of alliterations for his immigrant prison camps.
First it was “Alligator Alcatraz,” the name of the controversial detention facility hastily erected in the Everglades. Now it’s “Deportation Depot.”
That’s what he’s calling the new detention facility to be located at the abandoned Baker Correctional Institution, a state prison about 40 miles west of Jacksonville.
At a presser this morning, DeSantis said the Trump administration needs more prisons. “There is a demand for this. I’m confident that it will be filled.” He estimated the build-out cost of refitting the prison will be $6 million. It will hold 1,300 prisoners, but could be expanded.
His announcement comes as a federal judge in Miami is deciding the fate of Alligator Alcatraz. Judge Kathleen Williams concluded a hearing earlier this week on whether she should issue a permanent injunction. She hasn’t ruled on that yet.
A Life of Service
Tony Hall was my congressman when I lived in Dayton, Ohio, and served as editor of the Dayton Daily News.
A lifelong Democrat in a region that has turned ruby red, Hall retired from Congress and began a new mission—to fight hunger and child abuse around the world.
Now, he’s relocated to Naples on Florida’s southwest coast where, coincidentally, I also live. His story is inspiring. And it’s told by Florida Weekly writer Roger Williams in this week’s issue. It’s a great read. Here’s the link:
Also in that edition of the newspaper is my latest column, which, I should hasten to add, deals with issues far less substantial including the pressing question:
Why do cats have nine lives?
You can find it here:
Watching the Tropics
Tropical Storm Erin, soon to become the first hurricane of 2025, is on a projected path to skirt the American coastline. However, the National Hurricane Center cautions that it’s still early, the path could change, and even if it misses a landfall it seems destined to become a major hurricane and coastal areas need to be on the alert for riptides and other storm impacts.
J.C. Bruce is an award-winning journalist, columnist, and author. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida.
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