SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is calling on a group of Texas lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to oppose funding a new immigration detention center in the city.
In a letter sent to U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as Reps. Joaquin Castro, Henry Cuellar, Greg Casar, Tony Gonzales and Chip Roy on Wednesday, Jones requested that they vote against any funding bill that would allocate resources for a proposed facility reportedly acquired by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The mayor says the proposed 640,000 square foot detention center would be located at 542 SE Loop 410 Access Road in San Antonio. Without disclosing the location, ICE confirmed to the San Antonio Report last week that the agency purchased land and a facility to expand its immigration operations.
“Placing an ICE facility on our Eastside, an already economically depressed part of our community, would further negatively affect the local economy and hamper its ability to attract the type of good-paying jobs our constituents need and deserve,” wrote Jones. “I welcome a conversation to discuss more strategic ways to enhance the economic development of our city.”
Jones also struck down the idea that the facility could help create jobs in the community.
“Some have suggested this proposed ICE facility is a jobs opportunity, and I think that is insulting and inaccurate. I would offer a better way to increase jobs: eliminate the tariffs that have driven up costs in our community, and reverse the proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Such steps would actually help people,” Jones said in the letter.
Jones said neither her office or city staff received formal notice of the facility’s purchase.
“Our community deserves transparency around the proposed ICE facility and any activities there,” she said.