Overview

Governor DeSantis announced plans for a second Florida immigration detention facility at Camp Blanding, a Florida National Guard training base near Starke in Clay County, capable of holding 2,000 detainees. DeSantis branded it “Deportation Depot.”

Key Details

• Location: Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Clay County
• Planned capacity: 2,000 beds
• Operator: Florida state (Division of Emergency Management)
• Status: Paused — on hold until Alligator Alcatraz fills up
• Construction contracts: State selecting vendors as of July 2025

Requirements Before Opening

Four areas require improvement:

1. Food service: Must accommodate 4 meals/day (2 hot) for 1,000+ people
2. Safety infrastructure
3. Building facilities: Kitchen/dining areas per block
4. Contractual requirements

Context

Together with Alligator Alcatraz (3,000-5,000 capacity), Camp Blanding would give Florida the ability to detain about 5,000 undocumented immigrants at any given time under state-operated facilities. DeSantis has stated he is willing to activate Blanding once Alligator Alcatraz reaches capacity.

Sources

• DeSantis announces plans for second immigration detention facility dubbed ‘Deportation Depot’ — PBS
• ICE detention site at Camp Blanding to house 2,000 detainees — News4Jax
• DeSantis: Camp Blanding ICE detention facility put on hold until Alligator Alcatraz fills up — First Coast News