The Republican Party of Florida pulled a line of deportation-themed merchandise from its online store after Home Depot objected to the unauthorized use of its brand.
Following Governor Ron DeSantis’ announcement of a new immigrant detention center dubbed the “Deportation Depot” last week, the Florida GOP rolled out hats, T-shirts and mugs embossed with “THE DEPORT DEPOT,” mimicking the retail giant’s logo.
However, just two days into hawking its new merch line, the items were removed from its digital storefront after Home Depot reportedly accused the Florida GOP of copying its trademark blocky stencil font and bright orange square without permission.
“We don’t allow any organization to use our branding or logo for their commercial purposes, and we did not approve this use,” Beth Marlowe, a Home Depot spokeswoman, told The Washington Post on Sunday.
Although posts about the Deport Depot items had been removed on X, the Post reported that one promotion remained on Instagram until about half an hour after the newspaper inquired.
The Deport Depot is the latest Republican effort to fundraise off Florida’s immigration policies, following a July merch line of t-shirts, baseball caps, and beer koozies emblazoned “Alligator Alcatraz” – the Florida Everglades immigration detention center – and images of giant reptiles patrolling a prison facility.
DeSantis unveiled the Deportation Depot on Thursday, announcing plans to turn a shuttered state prison into another state-run immigration detention center that can hold up to 1,300 people.
The prison — located within a rural stretch of the state between Tallahassee and Jacksonville — will operate inside Baker Correctional Institution, joining a new wave of state-run detention centers working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to boost the president’s mass deportation agenda.
“This will be operational soon; it is not going to take forever, but we are also not rushing to do this right this day,” DeSantis said.
“The reason for this is not to just house people indefinitely. We want to process, stage, and then return illegal aliens to their home country. That is the name of the game.”
The announcement came after a federal court order to stop any new construction at Alligator Alcatraz following a lawsuit from environmental groups warning that the facility endangers surrounding wetlands and wildlife.
Lawyers and migrants being held inside the Everglades facility have also reported a trend of negligence and worsening conditions, including a mystery illness, possibly Covid-19, running rampant through the camp.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Thursday that there is “no widespread disease circulating at Alligator Alcatraz.”
The Independent has contacted Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power and the Home Depot for more information.
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