Florida mistakenly releases two detainees from state deportation facility

Florida accidentally released two detainees from a state facility, officials confirmed on Wednesday.The two detainees at the Deportation Depot in Sanderson were mistakenly released over the weekend. They were later returned to the detention facility after what officials described as an administrative error that resulted in the pair being released on bond, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.“Both individuals were quickly located and returned to custody,” FDEM spokeswoman Stephanie Hartman told the Washington Examiner. “There is no ongoing threat to the public.” “The matter is being reviewed to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents,” Hartman added.Deportation Depot is located in the former Baker Correctional Institution. It processes illegal immigrants before they are transferred into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.The release of two detainees comes as Florida has emerged as a leader in deportation crackdowns, with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) encouraging local authorities to coordinate with ICE to target illegal immigrants, including through 287(g) federal-local agreements.As of 2025, all 67 counties in Florida had signed cooperation agreements with ICE, according to the Florida Sheriffs Association. By May, coordinated federal-state operations across Florida had resulted in nearly 25,000 arrests statewide, according to the governor’s office. The initiative comes as illegal immigration declines under the Trump administration.The number of illegal immigrants apprehended by Border Patrol for attempting to enter the country illegally from Mexico declined by more than 2 million in President Donald Trump’s first full fiscal year in office compared to his predecessor’s year one, the Washington Examiner reported on Wednesday.WATCHDOG FILES HATCH ACT COMPLAINT OVER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO ILHAN OMAR“Florida continues to demonstrate how to turn important policy into meaningful action,” DeSantis said last month after an operation resulted in the arrest of 500 illegal immigrants, including those authorities said had criminal histories involving domestic violence, drug offenses, DUI, assault, and other sex and violent crimes.“We have created an unprecedented law enforcement model that has turned Florida, under the 287(g) Task Force Model, into the most proactive and effective state in identifying, apprehending, and deporting illegal immigrants who have intentionally avoided lawful immigration processes and committed horrific crimes within the United States,” the governor added.