Trump administration awards contract to operate immigration detention facility in Surprise

The federal government has awarded a contract worth up to $700 million to a controversial security contractor that staffs Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” to operate a planned immigration detention facility in Surprise.

According to a federal government database, the Department of Homeland Security contracted with GardaWorld Federal Services to retrofit and operate the immigration detention facility the agency is building out in a massive warehouse it purchased in the west Valley suburb earlier this year.

GardaWorld, a Canadian defense and security contractor, will be paid $313.4 million under the initial one-year term for the contract, which could be extended through February 2029 with a total value of $704 million.

The planned facility has already generated plenty of opposition locally from residents concerned about how it will impact their suburban neighborhood. Some Arizona elected officials have also criticized the Trump administration for failing to coordinate or communicate with local leaders.

Critics have expressed concern the warehouse was not built to house people, lacks facilities needed for that use and will put a strain on local infrastructure and resources, like public safety and emergency services.

And Democratic officials have also questioned whether GardaWorld is qualified to oversee the operation.

“The decision to convert a warehouse not designed or zoned for human habitation into a large-scale detention facility on an expedited basis raises profound questions about contractor qualifications, concern for human health and safety, and the humane treatment of individuals who will be held there,” Reps. Greg Stanton, Yassamin Ansari and Adelita Grijalva wrote in a letter to GardaWorld Federal President Pete Dordal.

They added, “We are greatly concerned by reporting that GardaWorld, a security contractor, has never been directly contracted to oversee any detention facility but nevertheless has been awarded this significant contract.”

GardaWorld is one of several contractors paid by the state of Florida to operate the immigration facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades, according to the Florida Phoenix. That facility is currently being funded by state dollars, though Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he expects the federal government to eventually pay Florida back.

WGCU News in Florida reported that Alligator Alcatraz is currently the subject of two lawsuits, including a case filed by former detainees alleging they faced inhumane conditions without access to clean water and were punished for raising those concerns.

After the company received that contract last year, the Tampa Bay Times reported little is known about its experience running large-scale detention facilities.

A government contracts database shows the organization has received dozens of federal contracts for a variety of security services, including a contract worth up to $1.3 billion to provide security at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

GardaWorld did not answer questions from KJZZ about its qualifications to operate the facility and referred questions about the contract to DHS.

Controversies

GardaWorld provides a broad range of services, from remote surveillance to armored trucks that transfer cash for banks, according to its website.

In 2020, the Tampa Bay Times reported that the armored car service was beset by issues, including that it put unsafe trucks on the road and did not adequately train its drivers, resulting in a dozen deaths.

That same year, a former employee of Aegis Defense Services, a GardaWorld subsidiary, sued the company. Justin Fahn, an Army veteran, claimed that many employees hired to guard the U.S. embassy in Kabul Afghanistan were unqualified and the company did not make them undergo required annual training.

The lawsuit ended in a settlement in 2024.

GardaWorld denied the allegations made in the Times reporting and claimed they originated from a terminated employee. The company said federal regulators declined to pursue the claims.

"Over the last 10 years, GardaWorld Cash has also invested heavily in driver certification training programs, upgrading and maintaining vehicle fleets, and implementing safety technology. GardaWorld Cash also has processes, procedures and technologies to promote safety and security and ensure compliance with all laws and regulations," according to a statement. "GardaWorld Cash is subject to frequent independent auditing by our customers and third-party auditors, as we support some of the largest financial institutions in America."

The company also denied the allegations in Fahn's lawsuit, saying there was never a "finding that any personnel had failed to pass required training," and most claims were dismissed by a judge before the settlement was reached in 2024.

Questions

Stanton, Ansari and Grijalva said they have many unanswered questions about GardaWorld’s qualifications to run the Surprise detention center, including its ability to manage the project, whether it plans to bring in subcontractors and how the contractor will ensure it meets dozens local, state and federal zoning, code and safety requires.

They asked the contractor to answer those questions.

The lawmakers also wrote a letter to outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who Trump fired last week, and Acting Director Todd Lyons posing similar questions about the safety of the facility and how DHS vetted its choice to run it.

“Once again, DHS leaves Arizonans in the dark, awarding a massive contract to a firm with no experience in detention center oversight. This is Trump’s mass deportation agenda at work, and none of this makes our community safer or more prosperous — just the opposite,” Stanton said in a statement.

DHS did not immediately respond to a question about its vetting process for the contract.