San Antonio East Side Opponents Press City to Challenge Planned $66.1M ICE Detention Center

ICE bought a warehouse on the city’s East Side for $66.1 million in January. The agency has said it expects to hold between 1,000 and 1,500 people there each day during immigration proceedings, with an opening planned for next winter. Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert and Father Jimmy Drennan are pressing San Antonio to take legal action. “I think it’s very important that we at least slow this down and make sure that the processes happen,” Calvert said. Drennan said: “It has created a horrific sense of fear in the entire east and southeast side of San Antonio.”

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said the city has put a deadline by the 30th of September to review what response it gets from ICE before deciding next steps. Opponents plan to march from Davis Middle School toward the ICE site on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Same site, earlier steps: 2026-08-27–ice-awards-gardaworld-17-3m-san-antonio-warehouse-detention-conversion, 2026-04-17–san-antonio-restricts-detention-facilities-ordinance, 2026-04-15–hurson-maryland-nepa-precedent-bexar-tx-warehouse-pause.