Is ICE (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement) building a new short term detention center in Warwick, RI on Jefferson Blvd?

A series of permits have been submitted to the City of Warwick to do extensive, expensive upgrades to 443 Jefferson Blvd.

The building permit reads, “Build an enclosed sallyport for processing into the building. It will be a steel structure with fencing around the perimeter for security purposes.”

A sally port is a secure, controlled entry way to a fortification or prison. The size of the sallyport in Warwick will be 968 square feet.

The electrical permit for “complete electrical, fire alarm and tele/data tenant fit-out per the contract drawings” notes that the use of the structure is for “office and short term detention.”

Estimated cost of labor and materials for the sallyport is $80,000. Estimated costs for the electrical, fire alarms and tele/data tenant fit-out is $710,000.

Uprise RI reached out to John Mohan, Public Affairs Officer for the New England Region for ICE. He replied, “Thanks for the inquiry. I’m going to decline to comment since we don’t talk publicly about any alleged internal decisions or plans of facilities that the agency works with.”

Shortly after going to print with this piece Uprise RI acquired this information, that seemingly confirms ICE is building a new detention center at 443 Jefferson Blvd in Warwick, Rhode Island.