{"id":157186,"date":"2026-02-09T17:49:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T17:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/157186\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T17:49:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T17:49:08","slug":"san-antonio-city-council-to-discuss-pushback-on-east-side-ice-detention-site-this-thursday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/157186\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio City Council to discuss pushback on East Side ICE detention site this Thursday"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The East Side warehouse previously owned by Oakmont industrial Group is among the largest such structures in San Antonio. Credit: Google Maps \/ Screenshot<\/p>\n

Some City Council members want to consider whether San Antonio can slap penalties on vendors and contractors who provide services to a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center on the East Side, a new memo shows. <\/p>\n

Council will discuss the document \u2014\u00a0signed by District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, District 4\u2019s Edward Mungia, District 5\u2019s Teri Castillo and District 6\u2019s Ric Galvan \u2014 at its Thursday morning session. <\/p>\n

The lengthy memo, added to the agenda by City Manager Erik Walsh, takes aim at potential ICE vendors and contractors by urging staff to look into whether the city can exclude the businesses from future contracts. Further, the filing seeks an evaluation of whether vendors\u2019 detention-center contracts could leave the city open to future lawsuits and whether city procurement policies can be upgraded to consider firms\u2019 civil rights records. <\/p>\n

Although the memo also proposes a moratorium on the construction of non-municipal detention facilities, it\u2019s unclear whether the city has that authority to do so. The Constitution\u2019s Supremacy Clause essentially allows the federal government total control over its own land regardless of local laws.<\/p>\n

Thursday\u2019s discussion will come roughly a week after Atlanta-based Oakmont Industrial Group sold a 640,000-square-foot East Side warehouse to ICE for $66 million. The federal agency reportedly plans to use the facility \u2014\u00a0one of the city\u2019s largest such structures \u2014\u00a0as a processing center for detained migrants.<\/p>\n

The feds\u2019 move comes amid rising public anger over President Donald Trump\u2019s draconian anti-immigrant program and the part ICE plays in it.<\/p>\n

Six in 10 Americans disapprove of the job ICE is doing, while only 3 in 10 support its actions, according to a new PBS News\/NPR\/Marist Poll<\/a>. A also majority maintain ICE is making U.S. residents less safe, and a growing number said the agency\u2019s actions have gone too far.<\/p>\n

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has voiced concern about the facility, telling reporters and concerned citizens last week that she\u2019s working with the City Attorney\u2019s office to explore possible legal action to stop it from opening. <\/p>\n

However, conservative Councilman Marc Whyte last week told WOAI-AM radio<\/a> he\u2019s concerned about the blowback if the city tries to battle the Trump administration in court. <\/p>\n

\u201cTo the extent that we want to fight this or block it or tie it up in court or whatever it may be, the federal government will see that \u2014 and we do risk losing some very, very important funding that people here rely on,\u201d Whyte said.<\/p>\n

Whyte\u2019s comments came hours before a tense public comment session at City Hall last Wednesday. Dozens of concerned citizens spoke out against the planned ICE detention facility. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a law enforcement agency accountable to the public. It is a weapon,\u201d San Antonio resident Giovanna Romero\u00a0said during the session. \u201cThese aren\u2019t isolated incidents. They reveal the character of the regime, an identity of untrained, militarized cronies operating with lessons to lie, to disappear and to kill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"ICE\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tICE\u2019s lack of clarity comes as concern builds nationwide about the feds targeting large events for immigration roundups. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"ICE\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe federal agency will turn the building into a 1,500-bed \u201cprocessing center\u201d as the Trump administration continues to ramp up deportation raids. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"San\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u2018We are working actively with the city attorney to review options,\u2019 Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\u200b<\/p>\n

\t