San Antonio Mayor Backs Legal Action to Halt Conversion of East Side Warehouse Into an ICE Processing Center

The Oct. 2 statement by San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones signals an escalation in her opposition to the ICE warehouse project. She said: “I support legal action to halt all activities related to renovating the Eastside facility into a 1,500-person ICE processing center”. She said a Sept. 30 deadline for the latest inquiry passed without a response.

ICE purchased the warehouse for $66 million in January. According to the Bexar County Appraisal District, the property was appraised at $37.6 million and sold for $66.1 million. ICE subsequently awarded GardaWorld a roughly $17 million contract to renovate the warehouse and provide services. The planned detention center is scheduled to open in spring 2027.

Five San Antonio City Council members called for an urgent special session on utility impacts. Hundreds of people gathered on San Antonio’s East Side on Saturday to protest. Tommy Calvert said San Antonio is “the last city and county to sue in the nation and the only city with an ICE facility moving forward”.

TPR reports that Maryland separately secured an April preliminary injunction blocking the conversion and operation of a warehouse near Williamsport while its lawsuit proceeded. Federal officials subsequently abandoned that conversion plan. No lawsuit had been filed as of Oct. 2; the mayor’s statement is intent. Earlier entry: 2026-09-28–san-antonio-east-side-opponents-press-city-challenge-ice-warehouse-detention-center, 2026-04-15–hurson-maryland-nepa-precedent-bexar-tx-warehouse-pause.