May 22, 2009 4:52 pm US/Pacific
Immigration Plans New SoCal Detention Facility

LOS ANGELES (AP) ―

The federal government has announced plans to seek proposals to build a privately run 2,200-bed immigration detention facility in Southern California.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement says on a Web site for government contractors that it plans to start seeking proposals in mid-June for the facility, which will be located within 120 miles of downtown Los Angeles.

Currently, ICE can house up to 1,400 detainees at a facility owned by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. It also contracts with police agencies to house detainees in local jails.

ICE used to run a detention facility in San Pedro but it was closed in 2007.

ICE has stepped up immigrant detentions in recent years. As of last year, the agency had bed space for about 32,000 detainees.

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