A Mother Jones investigation published this Tuesday by journalist Laura C. Morel reveals the conditions inside the Baker Correctional Institution, the former state prison in northern Florida repurposed as an immigration detention center and renamed by Governor Ron DeSantis as "Deportation Depot."
In this prison, Cubans, Venezuelans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, and Russians are held. The facility, located in Sanderson, nearly 80 kilometers from Jacksonville, houses approximately 1,000 people. Among them are elderly individuals, DACA recipients, and asylum seekers with pending cases.
The center operates without having been inspected by the ICE Office of Detention Oversight, as warned by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's report published in September.
The federal document was unequivocal: "Baker has not been internally inspected by the ICE Detention Oversight Office, nor was it scheduled for inspection in fiscal years 2026 or 2027."
Las condiciones en los centros de detención migratoria de Florida y los casos de cubanos detenidos son parte de un panorama más amplio que seguimos de cerca en nuestra sección de , donde encontrarás toda la información actualizada sobre este y otros temas relacionados.
Eight people —current detainees, former detainees, and family members— described to Mother Jones dormitories with 50 bunks for 100 men, suffocating heat due to broken air conditioning and broken windows, insufficient rations, and delays in medical care.
"We practically live in our underwear. The heat is unbearable," a Venezuelan currently detained in Baker said over the phone to the magazine.
The barriers to legal access reflect the same pattern documented in Alligator Alcatraz: delays in contacting lawyers, detainees missing their court appointments, and legal correspondence that goes missing.
Amy Godshall, attorney for the ACLU of Florida, confirmed that the organization is investigating and exploring litigation against the state and the contractors operating the center, including GEO Group.
"Much of what happens here is very similar to what occurred in the facilities of the Everglades," he pointed out. His conclusion was more direct: "The facility is designed to torture people and push them to their limits so that they self-deport."
When Mother Jones reached out to ICE regarding Baker, a spokesperson referred the questions to the state of Florida. Neither the Governor's Office nor the Division of Emergency Management responded.
While Alligator Alcatraz drew public attention until its closure in June —partly due to its proximity to Miami and the immigrant communities in South Florida—, Baker operates in the shadows due to its remote location, making it difficult for families and organizations to mobilize.
Clara Sowers, Cuban-American from Jacksonville and organizer of the Micah Solidarity Project, has been in contact with eight detainees in Baker and has learned of at least two men who suffered seizures. Each month, the group gathers at US Highway 90, next to the center, in demonstrations that sometimes attract up to 100 people from different cities in Florida.
The 2026 fiscal year ended with 37 deaths in ICE custody, a historic record for the agency, with several Cubans among those who died.
Related videos:
Filed under: