BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. — A 3,000-bed ICE detention center could soon be coming to Bradford County under an initial proposal approved by the county commission Thursday night.
The plan calls for the renovation of a 100,000-square-foot county warehouse and the 30 acres of surrounding land off US-301 N.
But the idea is generating mixed reactions among Bradford County locals.
Tommy Outlaw is excited at the prospect of putting the old building to use.
“And we need to get these detainees out of the country. That’s a good place to keep them,” Outlaw said.
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But when the idea was pitched before the county commission, several residents like Brian Roberts argued they don’t want the stigma of a detention center in their community.
“Is that what we want to say? Welcome to Bradford County, home of an ICE detention facility,” Roberts said.
On a 3-2 vote, the commission agreed to move forward with drafting a proposal to make the detention center a reality, though it would still need ICE approval.
The idea was pitched by Bradford Sheriff Gordon Smith, who explained the cost of upgrades and construction of additional structures on the property would be picked up by the federal government.
The county would still own the land and be responsible for administering ICE contracts for construction and staffing.
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Smith argued the proposal would be cost-neutral for the county and could bring between 1,000 and 1,250 full-time jobs to the area, once the facility is fully built out to its 3,000-bed capacity.
“I’m here to keep my community safe and if we can step up and help that and help my community in the meantime with opportunities that we may not get, it would be negligence on me not to at least offer that opportunity for something to come, especially for that many jobs,” Smith said.
Bradford County Commissioner Carolyn Spooner (District 1) was one of the two no votes.
She is concerned about the location, given the warehouse is near local businesses and homes.
“When you have an ICE facility oftentimes you have protesters coming. So, to me, the health, wellbeing and safety of residents is far greater than the benefit,” Spooner said.
Spooner said she’d prefer the county go back to the drawing board and consider the vacant New River Correctional Institution as an alternative option, as it is about 20 minutes outside of downtown Starke.
“If it were located there, we could still explore getting a business here the community could benefit from,” Spooner said.
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Smith argued that the facility has to stay empty in the event prisoners in other parts of the state need to be moved in an emergency situation like a hurricane.
As for the general concerns about putting an ICE facility in the county, he argued it’s likely coming one way or another and this plan gives residents and the county the most control.
“Cause the feds come set up, good luck having a voice. The state comes, you may get a little voice,” said Smith. “But if it’s run by the county, it’s like my county jail, you gotta big voice.”
If ICE approves the proposal, the county commission would still need to green light the final project.
If all moves ahead, we could see all three phases of the project completed as early as ten months from now.
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