Detainees Pepper-Sprayed Twice at Florida ‘Deportation Depot,’ Including Christmas Eve Confrontation

Detainees at a Florida state-run immigration facility known as the "Deportation Depot" were sprayed with chemical agents on at least two occasions since the site opened last September, state officials confirmed. The northeast Florida facility occupies the former Baker Correctional Institution.

Latest Incident: The Florida Division of Emergency Management said the most recent episode occurred on Christmas Eve. According to the agency, several detainees refused orders to return to their bunks and advanced toward staff. "One detainee became violent, striking an officer, so chemical agents were released to restore safety to detainees and guards," the statement said. Officials reported no injuries; those involved were medically evaluated and cleared as a precaution.

Earlier Confrontation: The Christmas Eve confrontation followed an Oct. 29 incident in which detainees attempted to barricade themselves inside a housing unit, allegedly inciting violence and causing significant damage. Guards used pepper spray to regain control, and officials similarly reported no injuries and said those involved were medically cleared.

State Expansion and Legal Challenges

The Baker site is the second immigration detention facility opened by the state of Florida, following a summer camp in the Everglades nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz." Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced the state is seeking federal approval to open a third facility in the Florida Panhandle and is exploring a possible fourth site in South Florida.

DeSantis has said a state initiative, coordinated with federal law enforcement, led to roughly 10,000 arrests last year of people he says were in the U.S. illegally, and that local agencies made an additional 10,000 arrests — a total he cites as 20,000. He also said 63% of those arrested under the initiative had a criminal arrest or conviction.

Officials supporting the expansion say the federal government needs more detention capacity to hold and deport migrants. Federal officials have praised Republican governors’ efforts to expand state-run detention capacity and called Florida’s partnership a potential model for other states.

Complaints From Detainees and Ongoing Lawsuits

Attorneys for detainees at the Everglades site have described conditions in court filings as deplorable, alleging that tents flood with rainwater and that officers pressure detainees, cell by cell, to sign voluntary removal orders before they are allowed to consult attorneys.

Three federal lawsuits in Florida challenge practices at the Everglades facility. In one case, detainees sought closure of the site on the grounds that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and that state agencies and private contractors lack authority to operate it; that suit concluded this month after the lead plaintiff agreed to be deported. A second lawsuit seeks a court order to guarantee detainees' access to confidential communications with their attorneys. In a third case, a federal judge in Miami last summer ordered the Everglades facility to wind down operations within two months after officials failed to complete an environmental-impact review; an appellate court panel has put that order on hold, allowing the facility to remain open for now.

Context: The incidents at the Baker site and ongoing litigation surrounding the Everglades camp highlight growing friction over state-run immigration detention as Florida pursues expanded capacity in coordination with federal authorities.