Two individuals held at the state immigration detention center known as «Deportation Depot» in Sanderson, Florida, were mistakenly released over the past weekend after paying bail, as confirmed this Wednesday by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM).
Both were located and returned to custody shortly thereafter.
The spokesperson for the agency, Stephanie Hartmann, described the incident as an "administrative error" and assured that "there is no ongoing threat to the public." "The matter is being reviewed 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 cracks in a state detention system operating under increasing pressure. The Deportation Depot—situated in the former Baker Correctional Institution, which has been closed since 2021—is not managed by the 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 the passage of Hurricane Isaias 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 beneficiaries, 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 the actual population to be between 1,200 and 1,400 detainees, exceeding the official capacity of 1,165.
That 21-page letter addressed to FDEM, ICE, and the management company GEO Group documents seven categories of serious violations and demands the immediate closure of the center, with a response deadline of October 22. The organizations describe the conditions as "punitive and unconstitutional" and detail cases ranging from potentially lethal medical negligence to physical abuse and obstacles to legal access.
Among the documented cases is a detainee who arrived at the facility in mid-April, fainted without receiving medical attention, and was later diagnosed with three cerebral hemorrhages and a skull fracture. He was returned to the center within two or three days and, in June, was reintegrated into the general population with brain damage and difficulties walking. An officer took away his wheelchair.
The letter also notes that a detainee lost 44 pounds in seven months due to insufficient rations, that temperatures in the living areas exceed 98 degrees Fahrenheit in summer—well above the 88-degree threshold considered dangerous—and that approximately 90% of the windows are broken. In April, GEO agents pepper-sprayed a group protesting the lack of drinking water; some of those sent to isolation were unable to wash off the gas for three days.
Family visits are completely prohibited. An inmate has not seen their family for five months. Tablets and digital messages are not allowed, not even photographs of relatives.
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 Oversight Office, nor was it scheduled to be in fiscal years 2026 or 2027, according to the report from the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General published in September.
The FDEM, which simultaneously manages immigration detention and responses to natural disasters, projects a deficit of up to 1.5 billion dollars in its emergency fund by the end of the fiscal year 2026-2027, and has received only 84.6 million of the 608 million promised in federal grants. The closure of Alligator Alcatraz in June also left an unresolved financial dispute that further exacerbates the agency's situation.
The organizations that signed the letter expect a response before October 22. If they do not receive one, they anticipate further legal actions against the center.
Related videos:
Filed under: