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DeSantis reveals plans for second ICE detention center in Florida

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Published  June 25, 2025 11:03pm EDT
Florida
FOX 13 News
Second ICE detention facility possibility

Second ICE detention facility possibility

On Wednesday, Governor DeSantis announced possible plans to build a second ICE detention facility at Camp Blanding, which is about an hour southwest of Jacksonville. FOX 13's Jordan Bowen reports.

The Brief

    • Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a potential second ICE detention facility at Camp Blanding in North Florida.
    • The proposal comes on the heels of another ICE facility already under construction near the Everglades.
    • Immigration advocates call the plan "dehumanizing" while DeSantis argues it’s necessary to relieve pressure on local jails.

TAMPA, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed for the first time on Wednesday that his administration is working on plans for a new ICE detention center at Camp Blanding—Florida’s National Guard training headquarters located southwest of Jacksonville. 

What we know:

The announcement follows the launch of construction for another ICE facility near the Everglades.

RELATED: Florida fast-tracks ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center in the Everglades

Speaking at the University of South Florida during a bill-signing event, the governor said the facility would help ease overcrowding in jails and support local law enforcement efforts.

The other side:

Immigration advocacy organizations are pushing back against the plan. 

Maria Asuncion Bilbao of the American Friends Service Committee told the Associated Press the proposals are part of a "theatricalization of cruelty," expressing deep concern about what she described as increasing dehumanization of migrants.

What we don't know:

The Camp Blanding facility has not yet received official approval.

A timeline for construction or potential opening has not been announced.

What they're saying:

"We’ll probably also do something similar up at Camp Blanding... We have some capacity there," DeSantis said. 

The governor added, "It’ll be a force multiplier... helping DHS and our state and local law enforcement."

"We can’t have every illegal housed in our jails because we actually have non-illegals who need to be housed there when they commit crimes too," DeSantis stated. 

"What’s happening is very concerning... It’s like a theatricalization of cruelty," said Maria Asuncion Bilbao, American Friends Service Committee

What's next:

DeSantis says if the Camp Blanding site is approved, the facility would be fully funded by the federal government. There’s no word yet on when a decision will be made.

The Source: This story is based on remarks made by Gov. Ron DeSantis during a public appearance at USF, along with additional reporting from the Associated Press.

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