The U.S. General Services Administration is looking to lease office space in Des Moines and several other cities across the country for “law enforcement operations,” which immigration advocates in Iowa fear could mean an additional processing facility and detention center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The GSA, which handles buildings and workspaces for federal agencies, posted a contract opportunity last week for potential rental spaces in 19 cities across the country, including Des Moines. The application period for the contract was short, lasting Sept. 12-17, and it asked for fully furnished spaces with an estimated workstation count of 70 and at least one conference room and one storage room.

The GSA did not respond Friday to questions about the status of the contract

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