DHS Seeks New Detention Facilities Amid Increased ICE Activity
Yareliz Mendez Zamora, working with the American Friends Service Committee, reports rising arrivals at the Miramar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. She regularly helps families with their cases there. On July 29, 2026, Mendez was outside this facility.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is searching for a new contractor-operated immigration detention facility in the Miami area. The DHS procurement request seeks a facility with a minimum of 700 detention beds within 50 miles of the ICE Miami Field Office at 865 SW 78 Ave. in Plantation. This request is part of a broader effort to find similar facilities across the country for individuals in ICE custody.
In addition to housing detainees, the facility must offer medical and mental health care, transportation, guard services, food service, and detention services. According to the request reported by Local 10 News, all necessary personnel, management, equipment, supplies, and services for contract execution will be provided by the contractor.
Similar requests have been made for at least 1,800 beds in the Philadelphia area and at least 1,500 beds each in the Seattle and Denver areas. These come after the closure of the controversial Alligator Alcatraz detention center in the Everglades and as ICE enforcement activities are expected to increase post the cessation of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently supported DHS plans to end TPS for over 300,000 Haitians, even as legal challenges persist in lower courts. Immigration advocates and Haitian communities in places like South Florida, New York, and Springfield, Ohio, express worry about heightened ICE raids potentially needing more detention capacity.
On Wednesday, activists rallied outside the Miramar ICE check-in facility. They voiced opposition to rising South Florida arrests and the increasing role of local governments in supporting federal immigration efforts. Concerns were raised by American Friends Service Committee members over unusual activities observed outside.
Billy Botsch, from the American Friends Service Committee, mentioned a vehicle from a known temporary structure company was parked at the facility, and its personnel were seen speaking with field office officials, which he found unusual. Portable toilets were also noted in the rear parking lot, indicating insufficient indoor facilities.
Furthermore, ICE seems to have adjusted the processing method at the facility. Botsch pointed out, “They’re not using the garage to take people directly into the building, and there seems to be a temporary processing setup.”
The ICE field office remained silent on requests for comments. A DHS spokesperson confirmed ongoing nationwide enforcement activities without detailing future plans.
Yareliz Mendez Zamora reported observing families transferred from the Miramar facility to hotels before deportation. “Families are held for a short time, then moved to a hotel where they can’t contact anyone,” Mendez explained. “We spent over 24 hours without hearing from a family member, then they were deported.”
Miami Herald reporter Morgan Mullings contributed to this report. Jacqueline Charles, having reported on Haiti and the Caribbean for the Miami Herald for over ten years and recognized with awards such as the Maria Moors Cabot Prize, also provided coverage.