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DeSantis pursuing opening immigration detention facility in Panama City

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gestures during a news conference about soon-to-be Hurricane Helene on Sept. 25, 2024, at the Tampa Electric Company.
Chris O'Meara
/
AP
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gestures during a news conference about soon-to-be Hurricane Helene on Sept. 25, 2024, at the Tampa Electric Company.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is in talks with law enforcement in Panama City about opening a "Panhandle Pokey" to house ICE detainees.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a Tuesday press conference he is in talks with law enforcement in Panama City about opening a third immigration detention facility there.

"We're actually in the process of figuring out how we can set up a 'Panhandle Pokey,' and we're going to have that in the Panhandle. And so the mission continues," he said.

Florida made national headlines for opening what is called "Alligator Alcatraz," a detention center in the Everglades. A judge recently ordered that the facility was to stop accepting new detainees.

The state opened a second one, dubbed "Deportation Depot," at the Baker Correctional institution outside Jacksonville.

DeSantis did not give specifics about the potential Panama City facility, or when it would be expected to open.

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Tristan Wood
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