Out of Sight in North Florida: Life Inside Deportation Depot
Last month, I wrote about a DHS Office of Inspector General report that revealed alarming conditions inside Alligator Alcatraz, an immigrant detention center opened last summer in the Everglades that held up to 1,500 people. Among the worst violations was the use of metal cages as “calming areas” where detainees were often held, the report […]
Last month, an Office of Inspector General report revealed concerning conditions inside the Alligator Alcatraz immigrant detention center in Florida's Everglades. The center, which held up to 1,500 people, was plagued by numerous violations, including the use of metal cages as calming areas for detainees. Corene Kendrick, deputy director at the ACLU's National Prison Project, stated that the report "reaffirms the cruelty of Alligator Alcatraz."
Alligator Alcatraz has since been closed; however, a warning about potential similar conditions at Baker Correctional Institution in northern Florida, known as the "Deportation Depot," was included within the DHS report. The inspectors noted that ICE's oversight and responsibility for immigration detention at Baker remain consequential, as the facility has not been internally inspected by ICE's Office of Detention Oversight.
The remote location of the Baker facility, surrounded by forest land and a two-lane highway, makes it less conspicuous compared to Alligator Alcatraz, which was located near Miami, a major hub for immigrants. With the closure of Alligator Alcatraz, attention has now shifted to Baker Correctional Institution, where approximately 1,000 detainees are currently held.
Human rights organizations and families of detainees are sounding the alarm over the conditions inside the center.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
