EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego expressed concerns on Wednesday about the potential impact of the proposed construction of a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in the borderland.
The Department of Homeland Security, via an ICE spokesperson, confirmed earlier this month that new detention centers will open in El Paso County, near Clint, but they’re not ready to announce them.
“These will not be warehouses — they will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards. Every day, DHS is conducting law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe. It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space,” an ICE spokesperson said in a previous statement to KFOX14/CBS4.
While ICE did not answer specific questions about the new facility’s timeline or location, sources with knowledge on the matter previously told KFOX14/CBS4 the federal government had purchased three side-by-side warehouse-style structures located at Eastwind Logistics Center off I-10 in the city of Socorro near Clint.
During Wednesday’s luncheon with the El Paso Central Business Association, which aimed to address the ongoing developments within El Paso County, Samaniego shared his concerns with KFOX14/CBS4 about the new detention center, including the strain it could put on resources.
“I focus more on the fact that it’s going to take a lot of our resources. It’s going to be a huge, huge federal mandate. We’re going to be asked to do things without getting any funding,” Samaniego said.
While the capacity of the new detention center is still unclear, Samaniego said the number of people could have a depleting impact on resources, stating, “That means 8,000. That’s water, electricity. It’s probably equivalent to a very big, big company. But a big company pays taxes, gives money back, and hires people. This one doesn’t.”
New ICE centers set to open in El Paso County near Clint (credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
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Samaniego’s concerns have echoed those of other leaders in the borderland, including Socorro Mayor Rudy Cruz Jr.
According to El Paso Matters, the Socorro Mayor also voiced concerns over resources, noting the city’s water system and electricity.
“We in the city of Socorro have many residents who still don’t have adequate water or sewer systems, and now (DHS) is planning to put 8,500 people – plus all the contractors and staff – in our water system?” Cruz Jr. told El Paso Matters. “It sounds problematic how much water and electricity those facilities will require if they’re running all day and night with that many people versus what you would have in a warehouse operation.”
The Lower Valley Water District provides water, wastewater, and solid waste management services to approximately 21,000 customers in Socorro, San Elizario, Clint, and surrounding areas.
According to ICE, the expansion of new detention facilities is being funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill, which includes about $75 billion in supplemental funding to ICE over four years, with about $45 billion allocated to detention facilities.
“ICE is targeting the worst of the worst including murderers, rapists, criminals, gang members and more. 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities,” an ICE spokesperson said in a previous statement to KFOX14/CBS4.
While ICE has not officially announced the new detention facility, details of the facility, including when or how the facility will become operational remains unclear.
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