Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is planning to open a second immigration detention center at an empty state prison in North Florida as a federal judge weighs a legal challenge seeking to shut down the “Alligator Alcatraz” facility in the Everglades.

The new center at the Baker Correctional Institution near Lake City will hold more than 1,300 detainees in support of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, DeSantis said Thursday.

State officials have dubbed the new facility the “Deportation Depot.”

“Florida is making a difference,” DeSantis said. “This is a priority for the people of our state. It’s a priority for the people of this country.”

The Florida Department of Corrections closed the Baker Correctional Institution in 2021 as part of a consolidation plan.

DeSantis conside

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