SOCORRO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Emotions ran high inside Socorro City Hall as dozens of residents packed the room, many in strong opposition to a new detention facility the Trump administration is set to bring to the city.
Residents raised concerns about how a new facility could affect public safety, city resources and the future of the community.
One resident, said, “I’m here to speak in strong opposition for any new detention center in our region…it goes directly against the values of the city of Socorro.”
Another speaker called for local leaders to take a stand, saying, “The time for accountability is now….The county is in position, the city is in position. It’s time for Socorro to take a position.”
A third speaker warned about strain on city services, saying, “This is not only going to take an impact on our resources. Limited resources. It’s not only going to make an impact on our officers. But those same officers will be pulled away from our residents.”
Julia Spencer reports on Socorro council directs attorneys to pursue ordinance blocking detention facilities (Credit: KFOX14)
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The meeting was standing room only, with residents carrying signs and prepared to speak out against what will soon become a new neighbor in their community.
Public deed records obtained by KFOX14/CBS4 show the Department of Homeland Security bought property for $122 million.
El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar’s office said the property is located along Eastwind Avenue.
The original item on the agenda for the special city council meeting proposed an ordinance that would have established a detention facility services fee for any detention facilities operating within city limits.
Instead, the City Council voted to instruct its legal teams to explore what legal action the city can take to create an ordinance preventing detention facilities from moving into Socorro.
Mayor Rudy Cruz said officials have held back from speaking publicly at times because they wanted to confirm details before sharing information.
“It does mean no good to stand in front of the camera when I don’t have all of the facts and disseminate information,” the mayor said, adding, “So before we stand in front of the camera we want to make sure that we have all of the facts recorded and we have correct and concise information that we can disseminate to our people because the last thing that I want to do is give out wrong information.”
Asked how the city found out about the detention center, the mayor said, “When I found out about the detention center it was something that we didn’t expect.”
The mayor said there had been discussion naming three possible locations and that officials were waiting for accurate information.
Cruz said the city is operating under the belief that Socorro is the potential or actual site, and raised concerns about communication with the area’s congressional delegation.
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Mayor Cruz added Socorro is represented by two members of Congress and that only one has responded directly.
“That’s correct and what worries me more is that the city of Socorro currently is represented by two congressional leaders,” the mayor said. “Only one leader has reached out to me directly.” The mayor added, “We’ve written emails, I’ve made phone calls and I’ve also sent text messages. I’ve yet to receive a response. All we want is transparency.”
Mayor Rudy Cruz Jr. said, “Yeah, I guess in closing I’d like to make a statement on behalf of this council and the city that We The city is not in a position to support the proposed detention facility beyond what’s legally required by us.”
He also said the city’s infrastructure could not handle it, adding, “The infrastructure that’s in place right now will not support it. The current utility stations that we have here will not support it. They can barely support what we have right now.”
The meeting ran longer than expected.
Socorro typically limits public comment to 30 minutes total with three minutes per speaker, but the City Council voted to suspend those rules tonight, allowing unlimited time for residents to publicly share their concerns.
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