Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said she will support legal action to stop renovations to a proposed immigration facility on the East Side, and most City Council members want independent reviews of the facility.
Jones said she requested information regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s intentions to use the facility as a processing center but had not received a response as of the Sept. 30 deadline.
She discussed her frustrations during a field hearing on Friday at Central Library.
“Despite many of our requests from the city for additional information on the East Side facility, we’ve been met with silence, or we’ve been met with promises that have not been kept,” Jones said.
The hearing drew a packed auditorium, with discussions ranging from immigration enforcement and the federal 287(g) program to potential legislation and the proposed ICE facility.
The planned detention center, which officials with ICE said should open around spring 2027, could house 1,000 to 1,500 beds.
The conversation also turned personal for some attendees.
Angela Gamez said her husband, Jorge, was detained by ICE in Castroville on Sunday, in front of her children. She said he is from Nicaragua and that the couple has repeatedly tried to secure his citizenship.
“We’ve tried very hard to get his citizenship, but every time we’ve been turned away or had money taken from us,” Gamez said.
Additionally, five City Council members called for an independent environmental review of the proposed facility.
In a joint statement signed by five councilwomen — Teri Castillo (D5) Sukh Kaur (D1), Phillis Viagran (D3), Marina Alderete Gavito (D7) and Ivalis Meza Gonzales (D8) — they said the facility could harm residents, infrastructure and the environment.
The councilwomen asked the federal government to conduct an environmental study in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.
Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2) posted a city memo written by the mayor on social media that requests a special meeting before Oct. 8.
In the special meeting, the council will request CPS and San Antonio Water System to conduct independent environmental assessments for the proposed detention center.
That memo was signed by Jones, Castillo and McKee-Rodriguez, along with Councilmen Ric Galvan (D6) and Edward Mungia (D4).
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