By admin 
FLORENCE, AZ (AZFamily) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is planning to expand its immigration detention in Florence, Arizona, according to a watchdog group.
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ICE has awarded private security firm GardaWorld a $1.2 billion contract to expand its facilities in the southeastern Arizona city, according to Project Salt Box.
Arizona’s Family has reached out to ICE for details.
The Florence expansion adds to the proposed ICE detention facilities in two other Arizona localities — Surprise and Marana — projects that have raised questions and concerns from the communities and Arizona lawmakers.
The agency in January purchased a massive warehouse in Surprise to convert it into a large-scale processing site that could house up to 1,500 detainees. The Department of Homeland Security also hired GardaWorld to renovate and operate that ICE facility, according to the City of Surprise.
While stressing that he “strongly” supports ICE and immigration enforcement, Republican Rep. Paul Gosar, who represents Surprise, said in a statement in February that “reports of a large-scale detention facility in Surprise raise legitimate questions for residents, schools, first responders, and local governments.”
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At the end of June, the Trump administration had agreed to a deal with Arizona to hit pause on the proposed ICE facility in Surprise until it completed an environmental review.
In a statement Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva, who represents Florence and paid a surprise visit to the ICE facility in May, argued that DHS should be fixing the “appalling conditions” in Arizona’s current detention centers, rather than expanding its facilities.
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