ICE Responds to San Antonio Mayor Over Planned Detention Facility as Gina Ortiz Jones Seeks Environmental Review and Community Input
After months without a response from Department of Homeland Security leadership, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has formally replied to Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones regarding the federal government’s plans to convert a San Antonio warehouse into a large immigration detention and processing center. The exchange has now prompted a second letter from the mayor pressing for additional answers before the project moves forward.
The correspondence follows two letters Mayor Jones previously sent to Homeland Security leadership earlier this year—one while Kristi Noem was serving as Secretary of Homeland Security and another after Troy Mullins was appointed to lead the department. According to ICE’s June 22 response, the agency answered on behalf of the Department through Acting Director David Venturella rather than DHS leadership directly.
ICE Confirms Plans for 1,000 to 1,500 Detainees
In his June 22 letter, Venturella confirmed ICE has acquired property in San Antonio that it intends to use as a detention processing facility with an estimated average daily population of 1,000 to 1,500 individuals.
The agency said the project is part of a broader effort to expand detention capacity nationwide as immigration arrests increase. ICE stated the facility would be renovated to agency standards and operated in compliance with federal laws, building codes and ICE detention standards.
According to the letter, the procurement process remains underway, no detention services contract has yet been awarded, and ICE expects the facility to become operational during the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2027. Once a contractor is selected, the agency said it will coordinate with local officials on engineering, utility reviews and facility operations while also encouraging residents to raise concerns during future discussions.
Mayor Requests Environmental Review Information
Mayor Jones responded July 2, thanking ICE for providing its first substantive update but reiterating her opposition to locating the detention center in San Antonio.
In her response, Jones requested clarification on two issues she says are essential before the project proceeds.
First, she asked ICE to confirm whether the project has completed or begun the review process required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The mayor wrote that, based on historical practice and federal law, environmental review should have been completed before DHS acquired the property.
She also requested a detailed status update on any NEPA compliance activities, noting that environmental review provides residents an opportunity to understand potential impacts and participate through public comment.
City Says Permitting Process Must Be Followed
Jones also referenced ICE’s commitment to work with local officials, writing that any design plans or engineering work should move through the City’s normal permitting process.
She said the City’s Public Works Department will provide information regarding permitting requirements to ensure the project is reviewed under established standards, timelines and protocols.
Mayor Calls for Community Dialogue Before Construction
The mayor concluded her letter by stating she expects DHS and ICE to consider community input before implementation plans are finalized or a detention services vendor is selected.
“I look forward to an extensive dialogue before a vendor is selected so that my community’s concerns may be addressed in a meaningful way,” Jones wrote.
The exchange marks the first formal response the City of San Antonio has publicly received from ICE regarding the proposed detention facility and signals that discussions between federal and city officials are likely to continue as the project advances through procurement and permitting.
Read Next: Senate Report Details Widespread Medical Neglect in Detention Centers
