SAN ANTONIO – A warehouse on the East Side is likely to become a new federal immigration facility, according to multiple local officials and reports, though federal authorities have not formally confirmed the purchase.
Local outlets, including the San Antonio Express-News, have reported that the federal government, through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has purchased a warehouse near the Southeast Loop 410 corridor, not far from Interstate 10.
Councilman Marc Whyte (D10) said the city’s understanding is that the sale has already taken place, though many local and state leaders say they have not been directly notified by ICE.
East Side residents and protestors voiced frustration Tuesday after showing up to a city zoning commission meeting regarding the facility. The commission said from the outset that the warehouse would not be discussed and that public comment on the matter would not be heard.
“That was incredibly frustrating, very cowardly, very limiting,” said Gio Romero, who lives on the East Side.
Jessica Solis, a local organizer, said residents feel shut out of a decision that could significantly affect their community.
“They didn’t want to have to face what the people are demanding of them,” Solis said.
A city spokesperson said San Antonio has limited authority in the matter, citing state and federal law.
“Under state and federal law, the City has no zoning authority over federal government property or property leased by the federal government,” the statement said.
The warehouse, Oakmont 410, sits near residential neighborhoods and community spaces. An apartment complex lies across the highway, with a school property nearby that the Texas Education Agency has ordered to close after this school year due to unrelated academic issues.
A community park is also a few blocks away. Within a few miles are multiple schools, grocery stores, churches and other community hubs.
The prospect of an ICE facility has prompted Democratic leaders to explore possible legal challenges. Bexar County Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert said one option could involve seeking an injunction related to environmental requirements.
“We need to file an injunction related to the federal government not doing an environmental impact study,” Calvert said, adding that such a review would help ensure the community’s concerns are considered.
According to reports from The Washington Post and The Dallas Morning News, the San Antonio site would function as a processing facility with up to 1,500 beds, rather than a large-scale detention center. A timeline for the project remains unclear.
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said she has not received formal confirmation of the sale or details about how the facility would be used.
“That’s indicative of the ways in which we are not always communicated on very significant things,” Jones said.
Republican Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody declined to comment but said his office is monitoring developments.
In a statement, an ICE spokesperson did not address reports of a San Antonio purchase but confirmed the agency has acquired land and facilities in El Paso, Arizona, and Maryland.
The statement said ICE has received new funding to expand detention space, adding that about 70% of ICE arrests involve immigrants charged or convicted of crimes in the United States.
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