Local faith leaders, residents reject Camp Blanding’s ICE detention center

Rev. Becca Putman with Westminster Presbyterian Church spoke at the U.S. District Courthouse in Gainesville on Friday during a rally opposing immigrant detention centers in Florida. Photo by Seth
Rev. Becca Putman with Westminster Presbyterian Church spoke at the U.S. District Courthouse in Gainesville on Friday during a rally opposing immigrant detention centers in Florida.
Photo by Seth Johnson

Around 100 leaders of various faith traditions, activists and residents gathered on the steps of the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Gainesville on Friday to rally against a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center set for construction at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center in Starke.  

The North Central Florida chapter of Indivisible (NCFI), a nationwide political action committee, hosted Friday’s demonstration against the facility.  

Rally leaders distributed copies of a letter quoting verses from the New Testament, Hebrew Bible, Quran and Bhagavad Gita stating, “every life is valuable, that strangers are welcomed and that justice is measured by how we treat the most vulnerable among us.” The letter has been signed by more than 70 faith leaders, 73 organizations and 500 individuals and will be sent to elected officials opposing the center’s construction.

Become A Member

Mainstreet does not have a paywall, but pavement-pounding journalism is not free. Join your neighbors who make this vital work possible.

Protestors carried signs reading phrases such as “No Auschwitz in Florida” and “Dignity, Not Detention,” while chanting that “internment camps” shouldn’t be allowed, “not here, not now, not ever.” 

Construction was slated to begin at Camp Blanding this week, but the Florida National Guard, which is housed at the military base, told Mainstreet it hadn’t started yet. 

North Central Florida Indivisible Executive Director Jyoti Parmar opens the campaign to stop the ICE detention center at Camp Blanding. Photo by Seth Johnson
Photo by Seth Johnson North Central Florida Indivisible Executive Director Jyoti Parmar opens the campaign to stop the ICE detention center at Camp Blanding.

“As Americans, we have committed a great number of sins in the past,” said Westminster Presbyterian Church Rev. Becca Putnam at the rally. “We are creating a great number of sins currently. We cannot change the past, but we can learn from it. And the truth is that one great American sin is the internment of immigrants and people different from ourselves.” 

On June 25, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the possibility of a new federally-funded ICE detention center at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center. The facility will hold around 2,000 individuals illegally residing in the U.S. who are deemed a threat to national security or integrity of immigration law.  

The U.S. Senate passed a bill this month granting $45 billion in spending for building new detention centers, nearly 62% more than the federal prison system’s budget, according to the American Immigration Council. 

ICE currently operates over 200 detention centers in the U.S., including Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Big Cypress National Preserve, which can hold around 5,000 detainees. 

The 2025 National Detention Standards state detainees must be provided with medical, dental and mental health care, showers three times a week, three nutritionally adequate meals per day and access to religious materials.  

CBS News recently reported that some Alligator Alcatraz detainees hadn’t received their necessary medications and were denied access to Bibles. State officials have reported the facility will only be evacuated for hurricanes above category 2.  

With the average cost of arresting, detaining and removing an illegal resident being over $17,000, the government recently launched a self-deportation program where illegal residents can self-deport and receive a $1,000 stipend after they return to their home country. 

At Friday’s rally, speakers likened the detention center to Japanese internment and concentration camps during WWII. 

Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative Coordinator Ethan Maia de Needell speaks at Camp Blanding ICE detention center rally. Photo by Seth Johnson
Photo by Seth Johnson Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative Coordinator Ethan Maia de Needell speaks at a rally opposing a Camp Blanding ICE detention center.

Jaime Zelaya, a microbiologist by trade and pastor by calling, said that even though he’s been a Gainesville resident for 20 years after immigrating from El Salvador, attaining American citizenship was easy because his wife was already a citizen. He said most migrants are not in the same position, whether circumstantially or financially. 

Instead of detaining the immigrants who are sometimes here through Temporary Protected Status, Zelaya said providing a path towards citizenship would give them hope and a future instead of detaining them. 

“But [the government isn’t] really interested in that,” he said. “We understand that, but they don’t say it because they don’t have the same point of view about life.” 

Trinity Metropolitan Community Church Rev. Catherine Dearlove said that her immigration experience coming to the U.S. from England was horrendous, lengthy, expensive and humiliating.  

She called the issue of detaining migrants a human and moral issue instead of Republican or Democratic, and said that when people ignore those who are suffering and in prison, they reject what Jesus taught to welcome the stranger, and a society like America’s that’s rooted in justice. 

“Using [Camp Blanding] to detain migrants, many of whom are fleeing violence and poverty, is a betrayal of my faith, of the citizenship that I signed up for two years ago in this country,” Dearlove said. “We can’t allow this land to become another site of dehumanization and pain.” 

Adela Beckerman represented the Jewish Council of North Central Florida. She said communities needed to remember America is a nation made up of immigrants, not to close its doors to certain people groups as with Jews during WWII and called for Alachua County to reject tolerating the centers by employing its detainees.  

“It is ironic that in Alachua County, where so many work really hard to avoid having prisoners serve as slave laborers for the community, that we’re setting up a detention center that will, in effect, do that,” she said. “This is something that we cannot tolerate in our community.” 

Rally leaders encouraged people to attend their next demonstration at the entrance of Camp Blanding (5629 FL-16 W, Starke) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 19.  

Signs at Friday's rally at the U.S. District Courthouse in Gainesville to oppose an ICE detention center at Camp Blanding in Starke. Photo by Seth Johnson
Photo by Seth Johnson Signs at Friday’s rally at the U.S. District Courthouse in Gainesville to oppose an ICE detention center at Camp Blanding in Starke.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
25 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
JeffK

All that just to defend cheap labor and human trafficking? And sending money back to oppressive regimes back home?
Wow, theology sure has come a long way 🤡💩

GNV Ken

I don’t understand the suggestion that detainees will be performing slave labor.

James

Illegals are exploited. Its against the law. We must enforce the border stop the flow. Deport as many Illegals as possible so that it disincentivizes further Illegal crossings and get our immigration process fixed so that we can have migrants that can be identified, given proper ID’s so that they are registered. So they will NOT BE EXPLOTED BY business and farmers.

Misguided Effort

What part about “The facility will hold around 2,000 individuals illegally residing in the U.S. who are deemed a threat to national security or integrity of immigration law” don’t these demonstrators like?

They don’t want criminals deported, who are a threat to the United States? Do the Clergy (and their fellow demonstrators) want to take the criminals into their “church community” and guarantee legal US Citizens, that these criminals won’t harm them?

Why aren’t the Clergy and supporters setting up offices/facilities to do background checks and assist all these “innocent”, in the US illegally, immigrants file the required paperwork to become a US Citizen?

US Taxpayers don’t owe criminals anything, US citizen, or illegal immigrant!

America is made up of legal immigrants, and indigenous people; others wanting to reside here need to do the same. Criminals stay in, or return to, your country of citizenship.

Bill Whitten

These concentration camps will be a stain on America’s soul which can never be erased. This is nothing but evil and hatred. Even slavery, so terribly wrong, had a superficial economic rationale. This is cruelty for cruelty’s sake.

James

Illegal crossers must be stopped. Illegals must be deported. Its maybe the only thing that will discourage further illegal crossing. Illegals are exploited by business large and small and by many farmers. Fact We must fix immigration. Vet them and give ID’S. As for those wanting to work, tax #’s so that they can not be exploited. There is truth to coyotes bringing in un accompanied children. And that is some real disappearing there bro.

Mainstreet Censorship!

Your decision to not publish my comments from yesterday is called “censorship!” I really don’t care, but want you to stop littering in my neighborhood by throwing your paper rag on my driveway! Which driveway? All of them!

As usual, the left media excludes any comments from those who don’t agree with their beliefs! And yet you still want to collect money from your political opposite! Keep it up! 2026 is coming!

C.J. Gish

If you would like us to discontinue delivering our print edition to your home, please contact us at circulation@mainstreetdailynews.com and provide your address.

And in regards to your comments, we do not approve anything that goes against our comment policy (cursing, slandering others, etc.).

Charles Guarino

Why aren’t these individuals taking the illegal IMMIGRANTS as their HOUSEGUEST???

Celtiegirl

Yes, I agree. They can support them by giving them an allowance as well as a room in their homes; feed them, buy clothes and toiletries, provide health care and transportation, give them cell phones and bail them out of jail each time and provide attorneys for them. Even take them on vacation with them.

JeffK

Illegals (often young men) should stay and fight their oppressors, not send money back to them. The regimes they flee will stay in power over their families a lot longer. Just look at them today, benefiting from our cheap labor trafficking.

Deanna Carpenter

Thank you for the info on Camp Blanding. We need to STOP building these illegal camps. Please continue to keep us informed. This is humiliating for our country .

Jim Harper

No human is “illegal,” which implies being guilty without any information to prove it. Stop using that term. You can say they are “undocumented.” Also clarify what the state and federal government is saying, because they are often at odds with the majority and frankly, sanity.

Charles Guarino

…ILLEGAL–ILLEGAL–ILLEGAL & ILLEGAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Celtiegirl

It is against the law to sneak into our country “undocumented”. Against the law=illegal.

James

They/them that cross the border illegally are illegal migrants. Many Illegal migrants are exploited. Many un accompanied minors have disappeared. Do you not have any problem with the two facts that I’ve taken the time to post?

Jazzman

Given the poor record of ICE in rounding up supposed “criminals” – by one account 70% of them aren’t – all because of a lack of due process, which is not just a human right guaranteed in our constitution, but how you tell if you have the right guy, this “detention center” should be blocked. We can’t trust their agents or their bosses who are now proven equals of Nazi commandants by sending people to horrible places from which they may never be released and who don’t care. This is monstrous behavior and if Americans don’t stop it, we’ll have earned the permanent stain it leaves on our history.

Celtiegirl

Hmmm, lack of “due process” was ok for the January 6 “detainees” which were American citizens but not ok for illegal aliens who are not even citizens and for whom our US Constitution does not apply? You don’t want them in camps? No problem, put them on a plane, fly them back to their own country and let them apply to come into our country LEGALLY like my grandparents did.

Jazzman

Celtie, Jan 6 rioters had full due process. Look it up. The US Constitution applies to persons, not citizen and the courts have fortunately always ruled that way. Look it up. Trump is flying them to other countries where they may be placed in prisons their adminstrators have said “They may never leave.” Is that how you want your country run, because it is becoming a police state were thugs who don’t identify themselves force themselves into buildings and vehicles and grab people without offering warrants or any identifying paper work, and then taking them who knows where as they are not required to tell anyoe. You like that going on here in America?

James

Illegals are exploited. Its against the law. We must enforce the border stop the flow. Deport as many Illegals as possible so that it disincentivizes further Illegal crossings and get our immigration process fixed so that we can have migrants that can be identified, given proper ID’s so that they are registered. So they will NOT BE EXPLOTED BY business and farmers. And we can be/feel safer here

Marla

Easy solution. Sponsor every illegal you want to stay here in the US. Take responsibility for their behavior and needs.

Faith Reidenbach

Thanks for saying the next demonstration is at the entrance of Camp Blanding (5629 FL-16 W, Starke) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. People who support these concentration camps are falling for the GOP lie that they’re designed for “vicious criminals.” https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article310541810.html

Take Care Of Americans not Criminals!

Miami Herald is a left leaning newspaper. Fact check it and you will learn!

Illegal is Illegal is Illegal! Worst are First!

When Obama built cages in 2014, it seems Democrats weren’t upset! When Biden let thousands of ILLEGALS sleep under highway overpasses in TX and AZ and on the floor in Obama’s cages, no Democrats spoke up against that! Now, criminals, to include those in our country illegally, (as determined by US Courts) are being sent back to their home land, or somewhere else if their homeland won’t take them back.

The current detainment facilities are meant to be temporary (just like Obama’s facilities), and include all amenities required by US law. The criminals live better than many Americans who don’t have air conditioning, 3 meals a day, and free medical care! Why aren’t you out helping American Citizens into homes?

Janice

Thank you for covering this story. Since people are being rounded up without a process to identify their status, nobody knows which of them is legal or illegal. At least one detainee told the visting legilative members that he is an American citizen. There are numerous reports of people with legal status being detailed. If they are not safe, non of us is safe from government that does not follow law and order.

For the state to take over a county site without discussion from Miani-Dade, sticking in a bunch of buildings on tons of land rapidly filled in the middle of a wetland is short-sighted and harmful to the nine million people who depend on Everglades-filtered water and the detainees themselves. There is a right way and a wrong way to do things. The state chose an aggregiously wrong way.

Take Care Of Americans not Criminals!

What was Miami-Dade county doing with the property? Hmmmm? Nothing! The State seized the property using emergency powers.

The recently stood up facilities are meant to be temporary (just like Obama’s facilities), and include all “amenities” required by US law.

Of course the “detainees” are going to claim they are American Citizens, they don’t want to go back to their home country and face going back to confinement! Wouldn’t you do the same? They have been afforded due process according to US Statutes.

No other country in the world allows people to enter, and remain, illegally! If you know one, name one!

We have homeless Americans who are being shoved to the back of the line so Democrats can “virtue signal” their concern for people in our great country ILLEGALLY!

Take care of Americans and send the rest back!