SAN ANTONIO – Congressman Henry Cuellar said Friday that he is “pressing for clear answers” from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the recent purchase of an East Side facility.
The Oakmont 410 warehouse, located at 542 SE Loop 410, was purchased for more than $66 million by the United States of America, according to documents released by the Bexar County Clerk’s Office.
Cuellar, who represents the area where the warehouse is located, said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was not transparent with the city and county about the purchase of the warehouse.
“I oppose ICE’s plans to purchase and expand large-scale detention facilities, including the processing center facility in San Antonio and I’m pressing for clear answers from ICE as this project moves forward,” Cuellar said.
The new ICE facility, when it opens, will be a processing center, unlike the detention facility in Dilley.
“The proposed acquisition and retrofitting of the San Antonio facility could include about 1,500 beds and wrap-around services like medical care,” Cuellar said.
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Cuellar also said the department did not provide a timeline on when the facility will be up and running.
Earlier this week, KSAT reached out to ICE regarding how the agency will use the facility and a timeline of when it would open.
On Wednesday afternoon, an ICE spokesperson shared the same statement with KSAT from when the agency confirmed the facility purchase on Feb. 5.
“These will not be warehouses — they will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards," an ICE spokesperson said, in part.
The spokesperson also cited the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which the agency said would help it secure “new funding to expand detention space.”
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