Florida’s Deportation Depot accidentally released two detainees and then had to find them again

• The accidental release at Deportation Depot occurred following an administrative error over the weekend at Florida’s immigrant prison.
• Teams from the Division of Emergency Management tracked down and recaptured both inmates in Sanderson.
• The detention center operates under a multi-million dollar contract with GEO|CDR BAKER amid intense monitoring by state authorities.

The unusual administrative mistake putting correctional facility authorities on high alert

Demonstrating severe flaws in security protocols, the surprising accidental release at Deportation Depot involving two inmates raised alarms across the Florida Division of Emergency Management. The incident unfolded over the weekend at the facility located in Sanderson, roughly 40 miles west of Jacksonville, when a processing error during bail paperwork allowed two undocumented immigrants to walk right out of the building before correctional staff could transfer them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Nevertheless, state spokesperson Stephanie Hartmann confirmed that officers quickly located both individuals and returned them to the immigrant prison immediately, maintaining that formal internal reviews remain underway to ensure accountability across a facility currently housing nearly 1,000 people in The United States.

Astronomical private contracts and state detention facility management

Along these lines, astronomical budgets frame the ongoing immigration debate while the prison where the accidental release at Deportation Depot occurred operates under a contract worth up to 101 million dollars. Furthermore, facility management remains under GEO|CDR BAKER, an entity formed by executives from The GEO Group and CDR Health Care that already receives nearly 32 million dollars from state coffers to supply correctional officers, administrative staff and medical services. Likewise, the immigrant prison occupies the former premises of the Baker Correctional Institution to replace previously shuttered facilities like “Alligator Alcatraz,” standing as a key hub where authorities collaborated in detaining nearly 28,000 undocumented immigrants while managing complex regional emergencies across Florida.

Two detainees held at Deportation Depot in North Florida were released by mistake over the weekend and later apprehended and returned to the detention facility, officials have confirmed. https://t.co/nOnLbdGg7c

— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) October 14, 2026

Budgetary challenges facing the managing agency amidst hurricanes and immigration enforcement

On the other hand, while confronting severe financial struggles that complicate daily operations, the state agency overseeing the prison where the accidental release of the two inmates occurred at Deportation Depot faces a potential multi-million dollar deficit. Apparently, the Florida Division of Emergency Management not only administers these private correctional centers and immigrant prisons, but also spearheads natural disaster responses like the recent Hurricane Isaias, which slammed the Panhandle leaving nearly 450,000 homes without electrical service. In the same way, official reports warn that the department could confront a deficit reaching 1.5 billion dollars within its emergency fund due to delays in promised federal grant disbursements, compounding pressure on security protocols meant to prevent future inmate incidents.