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The Town of Southwest Ranches, Corrections Corporation of American (CCA), and DHS / ICE want to build one of the largest immigration detention centers in the nation within walking distance of thousands of homes; thus, reducing the quality of our life and our community. We do not agree with the federal government privatizing our immigration detention centers throughout the nation when there is clear evidence that privatizing our prisons creates a clear public safety threat. For ICE to continue to privatize these institutions and bring this safety threat through their "secure communities Initiative" to our community is unacceptable. Depriving someone of their liberty is a non-delegable governmental function and privatizing of such a function is infecting our nation like a virus.

The Town of Southwest Ranches has now entered into it's THIRD Fire Contract within the last year now with the Town of Davie, costing taxpayers $120,000 in ramp up fees. They are now closing several roads in western Southwest Ranches charging the tax payers $80,000 for the gates. They have paid an unknown amount of money for lobbying with ICE regarding this prison. They have several lawsuits against the Town, 1- Involving Open Meeting Violations on a November 5th meeting concerning the ICE Detention Center, 2- Open Records Violations, and 3- The Town is putting together a lawsuit to sue Pembroke Pines for breach of contract because the City utilized their exit clause and cancelled for convenience their Fire/EMS contract which included water and sewer at the last minute for the CCA prison. In the contract it states that there should be no third party beneficiaries. CCA would be a third party in this instance.

CCA has also filed suit in Federal court against the City of Pembroke Pines saying they are denying them water however the City had never seen a water application. The City did file for a Declaratory Judgement in State Court but that has been put on hold until the Federal Court hears the suit from CCA.

Is ANYONE CONFUSED as to why the Pembroke Pines/Southwest Ranches Fire Agreement was cancelled? The Town Attorney Keith Poliakoff attempted to "slip" into the agreement a portion that guaranteed water for the prison at CCA's request. This is something that should have been brought up separately. CCA should have brought it forward on their own in a water application. This is sleight of hand that CCA and the Town attempted to do because they were so afraid of CCA being on the Pembroke Pines agenda.

As of June 2012, ICE put out a statement that the site selection was no longer needed due to the fact that the extra bedspace was no longer needed. READ UPDATE HERE!


Saturday, November 19, 2011

Media Release: 11/15/2011


Pembroke Pines, November 16th – Commissioner Iris Siple has put the Fire/EMS Agreement between Pembroke Pines and Southwest Ranches on the City of Pembroke Pines Commission Agenda for the Wednesday November 16th meeting.  Residents have been emailing the commissioner’s demanding they rescind this agreement that promises a lot more than just FIRE and EMS Services to the Town of Southwest Ranches.  Hidden in the agreement is also assurance that Pembroke Pines has sufficient capacity to provide water and sewer to the Detention Center.

The Detention Center that is starting out as a 1500 bed facility has plans to expand according to email communication between Town Lawyer Keith Poliakoff, Partner at Becker & Poliakoff and CCA Attorney, Sam Poole of Berger Singerman dated January 28th, 2011.  “CCA believes it is best to respond to ICE with the 1500 beds.  We can advise ICE that we can expand to meet future needs…”

With the Town’s Lawyer being extremely supportive of anything CCA would like to do, who knows what the final capacity will be.  When discussing a letter of approval from the Town in order to get the Plat note change on the County Agenda in time, Southwest Ranches Attorney Keith Poliakoff replies to Sam Poole’s email on November 18th, 2010, “My position is, amend the agreement and show me the money and then we can talk.”

Another demand from residents is to rescind the Roadways ILA between Southwest Ranches and Pembroke Pines because of the “non-interference” clause that was placed in there. With the Town of Southwest Ranches sending surveyors out to block access on 199th it seems to all of the residents that this agreement had been put into place for no other reason than to impede on the City’s ability to protect the surrounding residents from the plans that Southwest Ranches had for their ever-expanding Detention Center. This clause is being used by the Town Attorney to excuse all attempts to bring out public safety issues surrounding the Detention Center by Dan Danovitz of Broward County Development and Environmental Regulation Division and the Broward Sherriff’s office. January 14th, 2011 Keith Poliakoff says in an email to officials in BSO and Broward County regarding the plat note amendment, “In addition, Please find a copy of the Town of Southwest Ranches’ ILA with the City of Pembroke Pines.  Section 5.3 of this Agreement specifically provides that the City of Pembroke Pines shall not interfere in the development of this facility.”
 
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