The company set to renovate Surprise detention center has ties with “Alligator Alcatraz,” Rep ...

ICE will pay GardaWorld more than $313 million for the renovation. The contract was awarded last week, according to a federal database that tracks government spending.

U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton is one of several federal lawmakers to voice frustration over the contract. In a statement on X Thursday, he pointed to GardaWorld’s reported ties with “Alligator Alcatraz” — a controversial detention facility in the Florida Everglades. Last year, Amnesty International released a report outlining inadequate medical care and cramped cagelike structures in the Florida facility, calling the center “a human rights disaster.”

GardaWorld Federal provides "logistics, medical, security and support services” to a range of clients including the federal government, according to the company’s website. Reports from the Miami Herald and NBC Miami say GardaWorld provided staffing for the Florida detention center; the latter cited state contracts with the Florida Governor’s Office.

Stanton joined Reps. Adelita Grijalva and Yassamin Ansari in sending a letter to DHS this week, requesting more details about the proposed Surprise facility – including questions about ventilation, heat mitigation, and medical care at the detention center. The members of Congress also asked how DHS would manage staffing for a 1,500-bed operation at the facility.

The letter also asked about the facility’s potential impacts on traffic and local emergency medical services.

“How does DHS plan to ensure adequate access to emergency medical services, fire protection, and law enforcement support without straining existing local resources?” the letter asked.

Last month, Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor also penned a letter to DHS, requesting information about the facility.

“When major federal actions have direct and substantial impacts on local communities, infrastructure, and public services, advance communication and intergovernmental coordination are not merely beneficial—they are essential,” he wrote.

Federal bill would require local approval of new detention centers

Also this week, Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly announced they’re backing federal legislation that would require ICE to receive approval from local leaders — like city councils or county officials — before building a detention center.

The Respect for Local Communities Act was introduced in Congress last month. The bill would also mandate an economic impact analysis and a 30-day comment period for members of the public to weigh in on prospective detention centers.

Kelly and Gallego made a joint statement supporting the bill.

“ICE’s plan to turn a warehouse in Surprise into a detention facility without consulting city, county or state officials shows the agency’s complete lack of transparency,” Gallego said. “I fully support securing the border, but that’s not what this is.”

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