Florida Plans Second Immigration Detention Center at Camp Blanding

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' administration is preparing to build a second immigration detention center known as the "North Detention Facility" at Camp Blanding, a Florida National Guard training base near Jacksonville. This new facility is planned as an expansion of the existing "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center located in the Everglades, which has already incurred over $245 million in contracts and began operations in July. The commencement of construction for the new site depends on an increased pace of federal deportations from the existing South Florida facility, with DeSantis expressing readiness to expand immigration enforcement efforts. The Everglades center has faced lawsuits from civil rights and environmental groups alleging poor conditions, including inadequate food and medical care, restricted legal access, and indefinite detention without charges. President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed the harsh conditions of the Everglades facility as suitable for the "worst of the worst," while Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem views it as a model for other state-run immigrant holding centers. The Florida Division of Emergency Management is investing in safety infrastructure for the new site, including weather monitoring and lightning sirens.