Dozens of protesters gathered in Jacksonville to speak out against Governor Ron DeSantis’s immigration detention plans, including the recent activation of a facility organizers now refer to as “Baker Cruelty Camp.”
The rally began at Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park, where chants and signs filled the air as immigrant rights groups and allies launched a mobile protest caravan.
Organized by the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance and a coalition of groups from across North Florida, the demonstration was aimed at confronting the state’s plan to use the former Baker Correctional Institution as a large-scale immigration detention center.
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For months, protests have taken place across Jacksonville. But one thing hasn’t changed — the message.”
Organizers said the sheer size of the Baker facility signals how serious the state is about expanding immigration detention. As of September 5, more than 100 people were being held there. The site has a total capacity to detain up to 1,500 immigrants.
“Baker’s cruelty camp is designed to hold a lot a lot of people, and we want to stop from more lives being harmed,” said event organizer Vanessa Alvarez.
After the initial rally, participants formed a mobile caravan, decorating their vehicles with protest messages and driving to the site in Sanderson, roughly an hour west of Jacksonville.
“Showing them that hey, we still know that you’re in there. We still care for you, and we want to let you know that there’s people out here willing to fight for you,” said protester Stone Sevieux during the caravan.
Organizers argue the state’s detention policies are not just about politics, but are already harming communities in real time.
“We’re also really focused on the fact that they are kidnapping our neighbors right off of the streets of Jacksonville, and those are the folks who will inevitably be detained in these,” Alvarez said.
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In contrast, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has defended the state’s approach, calling facilities like Baker necessary for protecting public resources.
“Our healthcare systems, criminal justice systems, infrastructure, you name it. We’re talking billions of dollars that taxpayers have had to foot the bill to accommodate these illegal immigrants who are breaking the law and shouldn’t be here,” Uthmeier said earlier this month.
But for organizers, the fight is far from over.
“Our demands include the 287G agreements here in Jacksonville that would start the collaboration between JSO and ICE,” Alvarez said. “Our demands also include the end to any further developments at Baker cruelty camp, which would then house less inmates.”
According to ICE, the Baker facility is now active and in use. Protesters said they are still working to learn more about the project’s scope and funding — and vow to keep resisting what they call a system built on cruelty and fear.
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