(Sanderson, FL) - Florida's governor says it is time to open another immigration detainment facility in the state.
Governor Ron DeSantis announcing Thursday that the state is opening the "Deportation Depot" in North Florida to house an additional 13-hundred illegal migrants.
DeSantis says there is demand for the Deportation Depot noting that there are up to 100,000 undocumented immigrants in Florida on final removal orders who have not yet been deported.
According to DeSantis, the mission of both facilities is not to house people indefinitely, but to "process, stage, and then return illegal aliens to their home country."
Pointing to the success of Alligator Alcatraz, he says more migrants are opting for "voluntary departure" which means a free plane ticket home.
He adds that the Baker County facility is 15 minutes from the Lake City airport.
DeSantis says the $6 million spent on building the Deportation Depot will be reimbursed. He adds Alligator Alcatraz was more expensive to build but holds up to 5000 detainees.
“This will be operational soon, it is not going to take forever, but we are also not rushing to do this right this day,” DeSantis said Thursday.
Meanwhile, a federal judge may decide the future of the migrant internment camp in the Everglades by Aug. 21st when she rules on a lawsuit brought by several environmental advocacy groups.