The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a request for a new contractor-operated immigration detention facility in the Miami area. This move aims to address increased arrivals at existing facilities, such as the Miramar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center, which has seen a rise in arrivals.
According to the request, the new facility should offer at least 700 detention beds and be located within 50 miles of the ICE Miami Field Office at 865 SW 78 Ave. in Plantation. The facility needs to provide various services, including medical and mental health care, transportation, guard services, food, and detention services.
In addition to the Miami area, DHS is seeking similar facilities in other locations across the country, including Philadelphia, Seattle, and Denver, with bed capacities ranging from 1,500 to 1,800.
This move follows the closure of Alligator Alcatraz, a controversial immigration detention center in the Everglades. It coincides with the Trump administration’s reported plans to increase ICE enforcement, especially after the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing DHS to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 300,000 Haitians.
Immigration advocates and community members have raised concerns about increased ICE raids and the role of local authorities in supporting federal immigration enforcement. In South Florida, advocates from the American Friends Service Committee and Florida Immigrant Coalition have observed unusual activities at the Miramar ICE facility, including the presence of a company known for temporary structures and changes in processing methods.
Yareliz Mendez Zamora from the American Friends Service Committee reported that families are sometimes transferred from the Miramar facility to hotels before deportation, where contact with the outside world is limited.
The ICE field office did not respond to requests for comments on these observations. A DHS spokesperson stated that the agency does not comment on future operations but ensures daily enforcement activities nationwide.
This report was contributed to by Miami Herald reporter Morgan Mullings. Jacqueline Charles, who has covered Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean for the Miami Herald, has been recognized for her work with awards such as the Maria Moors Cabot Prize.