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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement purchased Oakmont 410, an industrial building constructed by\u00a0Oakmont Industrial Group on San Antonio\u2019s East Side, in January.<\/p>\n
Monte Bach\/San Antonio Exp<\/p>\n
The federal government plans to open an immigrant detention center in a warehouse on San Antonio\u2019s East Side by Sept. 30, according to a letter the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent to local officials this week.<\/p>\n
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The vacant 639,595-square-foot facility at 542 S.E. Loop 410<\/a> will be converted to a processing center housing between 500 and 1,500 people per day, acting director Todd Lyons wrote in the letter Wednesday.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n However, ICE has not yet selected contractors for the renovations, wrote Lyons, who plans to step down from his role at the end of May.<\/p>\n \u201cICE strives to maintain a cooperative partnership with local communities,” he wrote. “ICE will engage with state and local stakeholders when appropriate, while ensuring operational security.”<\/p>\n He was responding to a Feb. 23\u00a0lette<\/a>r from Democratic Congressmen Henry Cuellar, Joaquin Castro and Greg Casar, Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, County Commissioner Tommy Calvert\u00a0and Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, who blasted the proposed facility and ICE\u2019s lack of communication with local officials and residents about its plans.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe this project is a waste of taxpayer dollars and the failure to involve the community raises serious doubts about the potential effectiveness and appropriateness of this facility,\u201d they wrote. \u201cA deportation process that prioritizes speed at the expense of the justice system fails to meet high standards the American people expect from their government.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Calvert posted a copy of Lyons\u2019 letter on social media<\/a> late Thursday and said it \u201cshows a reckless determination to move forward even more quickly than initially revealed.\u201d<\/p>\n In the post, he also said he would exhaust every legal option to try to keep the processing center from opening. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning.<\/p>\n San Antonians were caught by surprise when ICE acquired the East Side warehouse from Oakmont Industrial Group for $66.1 million in January. Many residents have opposed it, citing a litany of concerns, ranging from poor conditions that have been documented at ICE facilities to putting pressure on water and sewer services to making nearby neighborhoods less attractive to business owners.<\/p>\n The facility will hold detainees before they’re sent to a detention center.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Local officials have searched for ways to prevent the processing center from opening, but their hands are largely tied. Properties owned by or leased to the federal government don\u2019t have to follow local zoning and permitting regulations.<\/p>\n