CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed using Camp Blanding, the Florida National Guard’s headquarters in Clay County, as a potential site for a new immigration detention facility — an idea that has sparked mixed reactions among local residents.
RELATED: Outgoing Council President Randy White reflects on term, praises fire chief, mayor
Recommended Videos
The proposal follows the development of a major detention facility at the former Everglades Jetport site, which is being transformed into a 5,000-person immigration center. That site, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” by the governor, is being funded with the expectation that the federal government will reimburse the state for its estimated $450 million annual operating costs.
RELATED: Protesters line highway in Florida Everglades to oppose ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
“Camp Blanding… is the Florida National Guard training headquarters here in the state. So obviously directly controlled by the state already, a large swath of territory which they might be able to use for that,” said government law attorney Chris Hand in an interview on This Week in Jacksonville.
While construction has not begun at Camp Blanding, the idea has generated local interest and concern. “There seems to be some mixed reaction from people living in Clay County,” Hand noted. “Some who said they were perfectly fine with it, others who said they had concerns.”
MORE: DHS secretary praises Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ plan as agency expands immigration detention
Because the National Guard falls under executive control, the state may be able to move forward without legislative approval, unless new funding is required. The state has said FEMA will reimburse the Everglades facility, but has not yet commented on possible reimbursement for additional sites.
Public response and local government deliberations — particularly in cities like Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, and Keystone Heights — are expected to shape the future of the proposal.
“This is going to be something important to track going forward,” Hand added.
