Governor Ron DeSantis is preparing to open another massive immigration detention facility—this time at the Baker Correctional Institution in northern Florida. Dubbed the “Deportation Depot,” this prison is slated to hold up to 2,000 people, with construction pushed through in just weeks and staffing pulled from the already overextended Florida National Guard.

The state’s first facility, known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades, is already facing a civil rights lawsuit over deplorable conditions: rainwater flooding living spaces, people showing COVID-19 symptoms without medical separation, and detainees being pressured to sign removal orders before speaking to a lawyer. These are not isolated complaints—they paint a clear picture of systemic neglect and abuse.

Now, rather than addressing these serious issues, Florida is doubling down and expanding the model. A prison that’s been dormant for years, without air conditioning in Florida’s extreme heat, is being rushed into use for immigration detention. Officials have even admitted there will be “unforeseen challenges,” yet the plan charges ahead—fast, cheap, and with little regard for the lives inside.

This isn’t about safety or justice—it’s about political posturing at the expense of human dignity. Immigration detention already devastates families, tears communities apart, and has been shown to subject people—many seeking asylum—to unsafe, inhumane conditions. Opening another mega-prison will only magnify these harms.

We are calling on Governor DeSantis, the Florida Legislature, and the Department of Homeland Security to immediately halt plans for the “Deportation Depot.” Instead, the state should invest in proven, humane alternatives to detention—programs that keep families together, ensure court appearances, and uphold human rights without subjecting people to prison-like conditions.

Florida can lead with compassion and common sense, not cages. We refuse to accept an expanding network of immigration prisons in our state. The voices of detainees, attorneys, and community members are clear: stop the “Deportation Depot” before it opens.

Sign this petition to stand against the expansion of Florida’s immigration detention system. Tell our leaders that dignity, safety, and justice—not mass incarceration—must guide our response to immigration.

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell