Two individuals held at the state immigration detention center known as “Deportation Depot” in Sanderson, Florida, were mistakenly released over the past weekend after posting bail, as confirmed this Wednesday by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM).
Both were located and returned to custody shortly thereafter.
The agency's spokesperson, Stephanie Hartmann, described the incident as an "administrative error" and stated that "there is no ongoing threat to the public." "The matter is under review to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents," she added. The names, nationalities, and backgrounds of the two individuals have not been disclosed.
The episode highlights the flaws of a state detention system operating under increasing pressure. The Deportation Depot—set up in the former Baker Correctional Institution, which has been closed since 2021—is not managed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but directly by the state of Florida through the FDEM, the same agency responsible for hurricane response, which had recently dealt with Hurricane Isaias passing through the Panhandle.
El «Deportation Depot» y los centros de detención migratoria en Florida siguen siendo foco de controversia. Consulta la sección de para seguir de cerca todo lo que ocurre con las políticas migratorias y sus efectos en la comunidad.
Among those detained at the center are Cubans, Venezuelans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, and Russians, including elderly individuals, DACA recipients, and asylum seekers with pending cases. The center currently houses around 1,000 people, although a formal demand letter submitted on October 8 by the ACLU of Florida, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Americans for Immigrant Justice estimates that the population ranges from 1,200 to 1,400 detainees, exceeding the official capacity of 1,165.
That 21-page letter addressed to the FDEM, ICE, and the managing company GEO Group documents seven categories of serious violations and demands an immediate correction of detention conditions or the cessation of using the facility, with a response deadline of October 22. The organizations describe the conditions as "punitive and unconstitutional" and detail cases ranging from potentially fatal medical negligence to physical abuse and obstacles to legal access.
Among the documented cases is a detainee who arrived at the center in mid-April, fainted without receiving attention, and was later diagnosed with three cerebral hemorrhages and a skull fracture; he was returned to the center in two or three days and by June was reintegrated into the general population with brain damage and difficulties walking. An officer took away his wheelchair.
The letter also reports that a detainee lost 44 pounds in seven months due to insufficient rations, that temperatures in the housing areas exceed 98 degrees Fahrenheit in summer—well above the 88-degree threshold deemed dangerous—and that approximately 90% of the windows are broken. In April, GEO agents sprayed pepper spray at a group protesting the lack of drinking water; some of those sent to isolation were unable to wash off the spray for three days.
Family visits are completely prohibited. A detainee has not seen their family for five months. Tablets and digital messages are not allowed, not even photographs of family members.
The center operates under a state contract of up to 101 million dollars with GEO|CDR BAKER, a company established in August 2025 and linked to The GEO Group, the largest private detention contractor in the country. As of September 22, approximately 32 million dollars had been paid. The center has never been inspected by the ICE Office of Detention Oversight, nor was it scheduled to be in the fiscal years 2026 or 2027, according to the report from the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security published in September.
The FDEM, which simultaneously manages immigration detention and disaster response, projects that in the worst-case scenario, which includes two major hurricanes and other severe weather phenomena, it could face a deficit of up to 1.5 billion dollars in its emergency fund by the end of the fiscal year 2026-2027. On another note, of the 608.4 million dollars approved in federal funds for Alligator Alcatraz, just over 134 million had been disbursed by early October. The closure of Alligator Alcatraz in June also left an unresolved financial dispute.
The organizations that signed the letter are expecting a response before October 22 and warn that the reported conditions expose the authorities and companies responsible for the center to potential legal action for violations of constitutional rights.
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