DHS Searches for New Immigration Detention Facility in Miami Area

Yareliz Mendez Zamora, from the American Friends Service Committee, observed an increase in arrivals at the Miramar Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. Mendez Zamora visits the facility weekly to assist families with their cases. On Wednesday, July 29, she was outside the facility.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeks a new immigration detention facility in the Miami area. A procurement request was issued recently for a contractor-operated, or ‘turnkey,’ facility. The center must have at least 700 detention beds within 50 miles of the ICE Miami Field Office at 865 SW 78 Ave., Plantation. DHS plans to establish similar facilities nationwide to accommodate people in ICE custody.

Besides housing detainees, the facility must offer medical and mental health care, transportation, security, food services, and detention management. The contract obligates the contractor to provide all necessary personnel, equipment, and supplies. This request was initially covered by Local 10 News.

Additionally, DHS seeks facilities with at least 1,800 beds in Philadelphia and 1,500 beds each in Seattle and Denver. This initiative follows the closure of Alligator Alcatraz, a contentious temporary detention center in the Everglades. The Trump administration reportedly plans to intensify ICE enforcement following the end of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status.

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court approved DHS’s plans to terminate TPS for over 300,000 Haitians, despite ongoing legal challenges. Immigration advocates and Haitian communities in South Florida, New York, and Springfield, Ohio, have voiced concerns over potential spikes in ICE raids, likely increasing demand for detention space.

On Wednesday, advocates gathered outside the ICE check-in facility in Miramar. They protested against rising arrest rates in South Florida and local governments’ growing involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Activists from the American Friends Service Committee voiced concerns about the increased activities observed outside the facility.

Billy Botsch from the committee noted the presence of a company known for erecting temporary structures at the facility. The company’s vehicle was parked there, and its occupants were seen speaking with field office officials, which Botsch described as unusual. The Florida Immigrant Coalition, which also supports immigrant families, joined the protest.

Botsch mentioned portable toilets were placed in the rear parking lot, suggesting inadequate facilities inside the building for planned activities. He also noted changes in processing procedures at the facility. “They’re not using the garage for direct building entry, opting for a temporary setup,” said Botsch. The ICE field office did not provide a comment.

A DHS spokesperson mentioned the agency does not discuss future operations but continues nationwide enforcement daily. Yareliz Mendez Zamora observed families being transferred from the Miramar facility to hotels before deportation. Families are held for hours or a day, then moved to hotels where contact with others is restricted. “We spent over 24 hours without hearing from a family member before deportation,” Mendez Zamora noted.

Miami Herald reporter Morgan Mullings contributed to this report. Jacqueline Charles has extensively covered Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean for the Miami Herald for over a decade. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on the 2010 Haiti earthquake and received the 2018 Maria Moors Cabot Prize, a prestigious award for coverage of the Americas.