Florida this week began accepting immigrant detainees at a repurposed prison in Baker County as part of the state's support for President Donald Trump's mass-deportation efforts, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis' office.

The use of Baker Correctional Institution, now dubbed "Deportation Depot" after being mothballed four years ago because of staffing shortages , coincided with a federal appellate court ruling Thursday that allowed authorities to resume sending detainees to a remote facility in the Everglades called "Alligator Alcatraz" by state officials.

According to the governor's office, the Baker County facility opened Tuesday and held more than 100 detainees as of Friday. It can house up to 1,500 people.

"Alligator Alcatraz" can receive more detainees, judge rules

A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday put on hold a ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams that required winding down operations at the controversial Everglades detention center. The Atlanta-based court's decision blocked a preliminary injunction issued last month by Williams and allowed authorities to resume sending detainees to the remote complex.

The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, alleging officials failed to comply with a federal law requiring an environmental-impact study before construction on the site could begin. The Miccosukee Tribe of Florida also joined the lawsuit.

The Everglades facility is "back open for business," state Attorney General James Uthmeier told Fox News on Friday. "No limits. We will fill it up with thousands of detainees, and we will get these criminal aliens back where they came from," he said.