OCHOPEE, Fla. — Deportations from Alligator Alcatraz have begun.
Governor Ron DeSantis made the announcement Friday morning that at least 100 detainees have been flown out of the country from the Everglades-based facility since it opened at the start of the month.
Hundreds of detainees have also been flown out of the facility to other ICE detention centers within the country.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
DeSantis told reporters during his press conference at Alligator Alcatraz that flights out of the facility are expected to ramp up, and indicated the state is still considering opening a second detention center here locally at Camp Blanding.
“So, my hope is that we have a very strong cadence coming out of here. If the cadence is strong and it justifies up to Northeast Florida and establishing a footprint at Camp Blanding, we will do that,” said DeSantis.
Read: Democrats and Republican lawmakers leave Alligator Alcatraz with vastly different impressions
And it may come as no surprise that DeSantis and state Republicans are pressing to boost the state’s involvement in immigration enforcement.
Even amidst reports of poor conditions at the Everglades detention center, UNF political science professor Dr. Michael Binder found 65 percent of Florida Republicans support Alligator Alcatraz in a new poll.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Despite immigration falling to the number three top issue for Republican voters, 25 percent say they don’t think the state has gone far enough on the issue.
“Even though it might not be my top priority, it’s certainly something that’s important to me, and you should keep doing. So, if I’m a Republican legislator, I’m looking at this and I’m not seeing anything that tells me that I’m losing my base yet,” said Binder.
State Representative Dean Black (R-Yulee) told Action News Jax he believes the poll results suggest lawmakers’ efforts are paying off and now is not the time to take their foot off the gas.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
“And we’re going to keep relentlessly working on these problems that we see, and we’re going to make things better and better. And we’re going to continue to be an example for the rest of the country to follow,” said Black.
And Florida is showing no signs of slowing down.
State officials announced Friday that 1,200 Florida sheriff deputies and 650 FDLE agents have been granted credentials from DHS, more than doubling the state’s capabilities to make immigration-related arrests.
