The closure of the controversial immigrant detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in the Florida Everglades, far from representing a retreat in Donald Trump's immigration policy, appears to mark the beginning of a new phase: the search for a permanent, large-capacity facility in the Miami metropolitan area to sustain the crackdown on deportations.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a tender for a "turnkey" facility with a capacity for at least 700 detainees, located within a 50-mile (80-kilometer) radius of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regional office in Plantation, west of Fort Lauderdale.

The complex must be equipped to provide housing, medical and mental healthcare, transportation, food, security, and all services associated with holding immigrants under federal custody.

The initiative is part of a broader DHS plan to significantly expand its detention infrastructure across the United States.

The agency is also seeking facilities with a capacity of 1,800 beds in the Philadelphia area and 1,500 in the Seattle and Denver regions, anticipating an increase in immigration arrests.

The announcement comes just weeks after the dismantling of "Alligator Alcatraz," the controversial center erected in record time in the Everglades, which for nearly a year symbolized the "zero tolerance" policy championed by Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Officially, the closure was attributed to hurricane season and the temporary nature of the facility, although it was preceded by severe legal, environmental, and human rights challenges.

However, immigrant advocacy organizations contend that the new tender demonstrates the federal government does not intend to reduce its detention capacity, but rather replace an improvised facility with a more stable and permanent infrastructure.

The decision also coincides with the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 300,000 Haitians, following a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the administration to proceed with the measure while litigation continues in lower courts.

That ruling opened the door to an surge in detentions and deportations, particularly in South Florida, home to one of the nation's largest Haitian communities.

Against this backdrop, activists staged a protest this week outside the ICE processing center in Miramar, condemning an uptick in detentions and growing local law enforcement involvement in federal operations.

Representatives from the American Friends Service Committee reported observing unusual activity at the facility, including the presence of vehicles from companies specializing in temporary structures, portable restrooms installed in the parking lot, and changes in detainee intake procedures.

"We don't know exactly what they are preparing, but something has clearly changed," stated members of the organization, who also reported that detained families are being moved to hotels prior to deportation, remaining cut off from communication for more than 24 hours.

The potential construction of a massive detention center in South Florida reflects a shift in strategy. While "Alligator Alcatraz" was conceived as an emergency response—isolated in the Everglades and plagued by controversy over its environmental impact and confinement conditions—the new project aims to establish a permanent infrastructure fully integrated into ICE's national system.