Located in the Arizona desert between Phoenix and Tuscson, Camp Florence was the largest all-new prisoner of war compound ever constructed on American soil. Built in 1942-43, it was temporary home to thousands of POWs, first from Italy, later from Germany. The five hundred acre complex featured barracks, a hospital, a bakery, a swimming pool, athletic fields and more than a dozen theaters.

During 1943-44, the camp was reserved for Italian enlisted men; officers were housed in other parts of the country. Prisoners were permitted to earn money performing a variety of jobs, particularly in agriculture. Eventually, those who renounced Italy's Fascist government were organized into service units and shipped to military facilities throughout the United States, including Fort Lawton in Seattle.

By December 1945, Camp Florence held a total of 13,000 prisoners. But by 1946, the facility was classified as "surplus," and title was transferred to the state of Arizona in 1948 for use as a state hospital and detention center for first time offenders.

The former internment camp is now the site of the Florence Public Health Service Clinic, serving the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).