Florida residents protest plans for privately run immigration detention center
By Marcos Restrepo | 07.18.11 | 11:39 am

Over the weekend, residents of Southwest Ranches — a town in western Broward County — protested the proposed construction of a privately run immigration detention center. #


Southwest Ranches has partnered with the private prison firm Corrections Corporation of America — which manages approximately 75,000 inmates in more than 60 facilities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. It currently manages five facilities in Florida. #


According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Southwest Ranches residents opposed to the proposed immigration detention center held a protest rally Saturday, and are considering a lawsuit to block the project. The Sun-Sentinel also cites the Florida Immigrant Coalition, which carried out a phone survey of 250 Southwest Ranches residents. The Immigration Coalition said that 89 percent of those polled oppose the detention center. #


The Sentinel adds that the center would be built on land bordering the city of Pembroke Pines near U.S. Highway 27 at an estimated cost of $100 million to $200 million. According to the paper, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Nestor Yglesias said a final decision is expected within 120 days. #


Immigration and Customs Enforcement (aka ICE) announced in June that it had “tentativelyâ€