The Florida GOP's attempt to cash in with "Deport Depot" merchandise quickly fizzled after the Home Depot objected to its branding being used without permission—underscoring the tensions brewing over Florida's new migrant detention plans. The Republican Party of Florida on Friday began promoting a new line of caps, T-shirts, and mugs featuring "The Deport Depot" in bold, orange-stenciled letters before Home Depot objected to the unapproved resemblance to its branding. "We don't allow any organization to use our branding... and we did not approve this use," a Home Depot spokesperson said, per the Washington Post.
The merchandise rollout came on the heels of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' announcement of a plan to convert a north Florida prison into a migrant detention center, called "Deportation Depot." The initiative follows the earlier launch of a $450 million facility near Everglades National Park—dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz"—which now holds about 1,000 detainees. Conditions inside the center have drawn criticism, with reports of limited fresh water, leaky tents, and mosquito infestations. State officials say the new "Deportation Depot" at Baker Correctional Institution will accommodate up to 1,300 people and cost $6 million to convert.
Democratic state lawmaker Anna V. Eskamani, who contacted Home Depot after seeing the merchandise, says its removal from online shops "doesn't address the offensive and arrogant behavior of the anti-immigrant agenda." The state GOP has also marketed merchandise referencing Alligator Alcatraz as part of its fundraising. Immigrant rights advocates have criticized the nicknames for the centers as insensitive. Meanwhile, Home Depot has found itself at the center of the national immigration enforcement discussion again, following earlier ICE raids at its stores in Los Angeles.
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