Yareliz Mendez Zamora from the American Friends Service Committee notes a rise in the number of arrivals at the Miramar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Mendez visits weekly to assist families with their cases.
On July 29, 2026, she was outside these premises. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a procurement request seeking a new immigration detention facility near Miami. The aim is for a contractor-operated facility with at least 700 beds, within 50 miles of the Miami ICE Field Office at 865 SW 78 Ave., Plantation.
This is part of several such requests from DHS across the U.S., designed for detainees in ICE custody. Facilities must provide medical and mental health care, transportation, food service, and other essential services.
“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,” stated the request, initially reported by Local 10 News.
DHS is also looking for facilities with 1,800 beds in Philadelphia and at least 1,500 beds in Seattle and Denver.
This new request follows the closure of the Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades and as the Trump administration reportedly plans to increase ICE enforcement after ending Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court supported DHS’s plans to end TPS for over 300,000 Haitians, despite ongoing legal challenges.
Advocates and Haitian communities across the country worry about an increase in ICE raids leading to more needs for detention facilities.
On Wednesday, activists demonstrated outside the ICE facility in Miramar, denouncing a rise in arrests and the involvement of local governments in federal immigration enforcement.
American Friends Service Committee members, like Billy Botsch, observed unusual activities at the site, including vehicles from a company that erects temporary structures and portable toilets placed in the parking lot, hinting at possible facility expansions.
Botsch remarked on apparent changes in how people are processed, as ICE seems to be utilizing a temporary setup outside the usual garage.
The ICE field office had no comment. A DHS spokesperson stated the agency does not discuss future operations but enforces laws nationwide every day.
Mendez Zamora shared concerns about families being moved from Miramar to hotels before deportation, noting a lack of communication during such transfers.
Miami Herald journalist Morgan Mullings contributed to the report alongside Jacqueline Charles, who has extensive experience covering Haiti and the Caribbean. Charles was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and received the 2018 Maria Moors Cabot Prize for her work.
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