EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Acting ICE Director David Venturella visited El Paso on Tuesday to meet with local leaders about federal plans for warehouse properties in Socorro that could be used for immigration-related operations, according to U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar.<\/p>\n
Escobar, D-El Paso, spoke at a news conference after meeting with Venturella. She said he toured Camp East Montana, ICE\u2019s detention facility at Fort Bliss, before meeting with local leaders about the future of additional detention facilities in Socorro.<\/p>\n
Concerns about the site began earlier this year after the Department of Homeland Security purchased warehouse property in the area for more than $122 million. Local leaders raised alarms after hearing the site could potentially hold up to 8,500 people.<\/p>\n
Escobar said that is no longer the plan, though she said detention would still be part of the project.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be privately run detention. They could not tell us the number of detainees,\u201d Escobar said.<\/p>\n
Escobar said ICE told local officials the project has shifted toward a broader campus-style use.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said that they’ve changed the plans a little bit. It will be a training facility… It will be a campus essentially for ICE with offices and conference rooms,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Jordan Salas reports on Escobar: ICE plan for Socorro warehouses now includes training campus and some detention (Credit: KFOX14)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Even with the revised plan, Escobar said ICE did not provide a number for how many people could be held at the site. She also raised concerns about the location\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things that we mentioned to Mr. Venturella is that ICE couldn’t have picked a more challenging location with regard to infrastructure,\u201d Escobar said.<\/p>\n
El Paso County Commissioner Iliana Holguin said the Socorro area is already trying to keep up with growth and that water, wastewater and roads are major challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m glad to hear it will probably not hold the 8,500, but regardless of what that number is, it’s still going to cause a huge strain on our infrastructure,\u201d Holguin said.<\/p>\n
Chief Roger Esparza of El Paso County Emergency Services District No. 2 said his department would likely be among the first to respond to the site but does not currently have the staffing or equipment it would need if the facility moves forward. <\/p>\n
Esparza said ICE indicated the facility may not open for more than a year, but he said emergency services cannot wait that long to prepare.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don’t have the staffing right now. They’re telling us 18 months. I cannot wait 18 months to get going, to get staff ready to go there. We don’t have the funding. Nobody, nobody there was able to say how that’s going to happen, but that’s our major concern,\u201d Esparza said.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Venturella said:<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s visit to Camp East Montana was productive and informative. I appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from personnel and stakeholders about challenges and opportunities, hear different perspectives, and exchange ideas about the future of our operations in the region. Although not everyone shares the same views, I appreciate the thoughtful and candid feedback provided throughout the visit. Open dialogue and engagement are essential to good government, and those conversations will help inform our decision-making moving forward. These conversations are critical to ensuring we make informed decisions that support public safety, responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources and safe, secure and humane care of detainees in our custody. I remain committed to working with local partners and engaging stakeholders to ensure ICE has the resources and capabilities necessary to meet its mission while serving the American people.<\/p>\n
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said the county needs to be included before final decisions are made.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very difficult for us to be waiting to see what happens, instead of being part of the decisions of what happens,\u201d Samaniego said.<\/p>\n
Escobar said ICE is still reviewing proposals for how the warehouses would be converted for federal use. She said the project would later go through an environmental review process that includes community input and engagement.<\/p>\n
RECOMMENDED: San Elizario moves to limit public services for proposed Socorro detention center<\/a><\/p>\n