The Federal Government Continues Converting A Nearly 640,000-Square-Foot Warehouse Into A Detention And Processing Center As East Side Leaders Prepare For Another Protest
A massive federal immigration detention facility planned for San Antonio’s East Side is moving forward, but its expected opening has been pushed beyond an earlier Sept. 30 target.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement now expects the facility at 542 S.E. Loop 410 to begin operations this winter as crews continue converting a nearly 640,000-square-foot warehouse into an immigration processing and detention center. Plans have called for the facility to process as many as 1,500 people per day.
The federal government purchased the property earlier this year for approximately $66.1 million.
In August, ICE awarded GardaWorld Federal Services LLC a $17.3 million contract to renovate the property and provide services needed for its operation. Federal contracting information describes the work as converting an existing ICE-owned structure in San Antonio into a processing and detention facility.
Related: ICE Finally Responds to San Antonio Mayor After Months of Silence on Planned Detention Center
The project has continued despite months of opposition from San Antonio and Bexar County leaders who have questioned why one of the nation’s expanding immigration-detention operations is being placed on the East Side.
Opening Pushed Into Winter As Opposition Continues From East Side Officials
Federal officials previously expected the East Side ICE facility to begin operations by the end of September, but that timeline has now been pushed into winter. ICE has not publicly provided a specific opening date or detailed explanation for the delay.
The postponement comes as federal immigration operations continue expanding across Texas, including the infrastructure used to process and transport detainees.
Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert, whose Precinct 4 includes much of the East Side, has continued calling for greater scrutiny of the facility and is urging opponents to participate in an Oct. 3 march. Calvert has questioned whether the project’s effects on traffic, utilities, public safety and the environment were fully evaluated before the federal government moved forward.
He has also tied the march to the Sept. 20 shooting of Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old delivery driver shot by an ICE officer in Austin. In a statement, Calvert called for a transparent investigation involving Austin police and the Travis County District Attorney and raised concerns about ICE hiring and training as the agency expands operations in Texas.
San Antonio officials have also raised concerns about the facility, though the city’s ability to stop the project is limited because the property is controlled by the federal government.
As a result, local scrutiny is increasingly focused on areas where San Antonio and Bexar County may still have a role, including roads, utilities, fire and emergency response, environmental impacts and surrounding infrastructure.
What Happens Around The Facility?
The next phase is determining how the facility will operate and what its presence means for the surrounding community. That includes whether local residents will receive clear information about detainee capacity, transportation activity and emergency planning before the doors open.
With ICE now targeting a winter opening, the East Side has some time before operations begin but still few public details about exactly what will happen inside one of the largest federal immigration facilities planned for San Antonio.
