TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is preparing to open a second immigration detention facility at a state prison in north Florida, as a federal judge decides the fate of the state’s holding center for immigrants at an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”

DeSantis justified building the center that he dubbed "Deportation Depot," by saying the Trump administration needs the additional capacity to hold and deport more immigrants.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the planned facility, which is expected to hold 1,300 beds, will be operational “soon.”