DHS Seeks New Detention Facility Amid Rising Immigration Concerns

Yareliz Mendez Zamora, a representative of the American Friends Service Committee, has noted an increase in the number of arrivals at the Miramar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. She visits this facility weekly to assist families with their cases and was present outside the facility recently.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a procurement request for a new immigration detention facility in the Miami area. They are seeking a contractor-operated facility with at least 700 detention beds, located within 50 miles of the ICE Miami Field Office at 865 SW 78 Ave. in Plantation. This request is part of a nationwide search for detention facilities for individuals in ICE custody.

The new facility will also need to offer medical and mental health care services, transportation, guard services, food service, and detention services. According to the procurement request, “Under this acquisition, the contractor will provide detention management services to include all personnel, management, equipment, supplies, and services necessary for performance of all aspects of the contract.”

Similar requests have been made for facilities with at least 1,800 beds in the Philadelphia area and at least 1,500 beds each in the Seattle and Denver areas. This initiative follows the closure of Alligator Alcatraz, a controversial immigration detention center in the Everglades. It coincides with reports of the Trump administration’s plans to increase ICE enforcement following the end of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed DHS to proceed with plans to terminate TPS for more than 300,000 Haitians, despite ongoing legal challenges. Immigration advocates and Haitian communities in states like Florida, New York, and Ohio have raised concerns about potential surges in ICE raids, possibly requiring expanded detention capacity.

On a recent Wednesday, activists gathered outside the ICE check-in facility in Miramar to protest rising arrests in South Florida and the involvement of local governments in facilitating federal immigration enforcement. The American Friends Service Committee and other advocacy groups highlighted unusual activities outside this facility. Billy Botsch, a member of the American Friends Service Committee, mentioned a company known for setting up temporary structures, had a vehicle parked at the facility. Additionally, portable toilets were seen in the parking lot, indicating potential facility shortcomings.

Botsch also noted changes in processing procedures at the facility, including the absence of garage use for processing and a possible temporary setup outside. Despite requests, the ICE field office did not provide comments. A DHS spokesperson confirmed daily enforcement activities but declined to discuss future operations.

Mendez Zamora reported that families are being transferred from the Miramar facility to hotels before deportation. “For families, they’re held here for hours or a day, then sent to a hotel where they’re cut off from contact,” she remarked. “We’ve spent over 24 hours without hearing from a family member before they were deported.”

Jacqueline Charles, a Miami Herald reporter known for covering Haiti and the Caribbean, contributed to this report. She is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a recipient of the 2018 Maria Moors Cabot Prize for her coverage of the Americas.