The Republican Party of Florida launched -- and then quickly scrapped -- a line of deportation-themed merchandise called "THE DEPORT DEPOT" to celebrate plans for a massive new immigrant detention center. Home Depot caught wind of it and immediately launched an effort to stop merchandise with that moniker. And they won.
It all started when Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed plans to convert a shuttered state prison into the "Deportation Depot" to house up to 1,300 people for immigration detention. Celebrating the nickname, the Florida GOP launched hats, T-shirts and mugs embossed with “THE DEPORT DEPOT,” in a font and color that mimicked Home Depot's the retail giant’s logo.
However, just two days into its new merch line, the items were removed from its digital storefront after Home Depot accused them of copying infringement for using the same font and bright orange colors traditionally associated with the construction equipment giant.
“We don’t allow any organization to use our branding or logo for their commercial purposes,” Sarah McDonald, Home Depot’s director of public affairs, told The Independent.
The Florida GOP's immigration-themed merchandise was meant to be part of a fundraising effort tied to the state's immigration policies. "The items remained available for purchase as of Saturday, priced between $15 and $28, with each sale counted as a political contribution to the state's GOP," Newsweek reported.
The announcement of the new detention center followed a federal court order halting construction at the existing Florida Everglades immigration detention center, known as "Alligator Alcatraz."
Notably, there's another tie to Home Depot as its stores have been targeted by ICE raids, as they're known as a place where immigrants look for work in construction. “Home Depot, whether they like it or not, they are the epicenter of raids,” Pablo Alvarado, the co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, a group that represents the tens of thousands of day laborers working in L.A. told the L.A. Times.
Also, according to Newsweek, approximately 19 percent of Home Depot employees identify as Hispanic or Latino. The company employs over 500,000 individuals,