San Antonio City Hall continues to push back against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over a planned detention center on the city’s East Side.
At the same time, ICE says it expects to begin full operations at the warehouse by the end of September 2026, according to a letter from a local ICE official received last week.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and other local officials have voiced opposition to the detention center. The City Council voted 9-2 on Thursday to amend the city’s zoning code to prevent detention centers from opening within 1,000 feet of homes, schools, places of worship, and public parks without council approval.
ICE has ramped up operations over the past year under the Trump administration and says the facility is expected to "house an average daily population of 500 to 1,500" individuals whom authorities believe are in the country illegally.
The proposed facility at 542 S.E. Loop 410 has raised concerns among city leaders and community advocates about nearby homes, schools, and the future of East Side redevelopment.
But the city’s legal authority appears limited: recent reporting suggests San Antonio’s zoning changes may restrict future private detention centers, while federal facilities remain largely beyond local zoning control.
Jones is also facing pressure on the fiscal front. She has said Spurs Sports & Entertainment owes nearly $5 million tied to the failed Major League Soccer effort at Toyota Field, and she wants that money collected as San Antonio braces for a tighter budget.
Guest:
Gina Ortiz Jones is mayor of San Antonio.
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