The Department of Homeland Security has agreed to conduct an environmental review of a planned immigration detention facility on San Antonio’s East Side, according to Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, potentially resolving the central dispute in a federal lawsuit filed by the city last month.
Speaking on Texas Public Radio’s The Source on Monday, Jones said federal officials agreed to comply with environmental review requirements after San Antonio sued DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Oct. 13.
“DHS has said that they will comply and do an environmental review, and so that was the whole crux of the case,” Jones said.
The city filed its lawsuit seeking to halt the conversion of a nearly 640,000-square-foot warehouse on Southeast Loop 410 into an immigration detention and processing facility capable of holding up to 1,500 people.
The lawsuit alleged that federal officials failed to conduct a required environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, before purchasing the warehouse and moving forward with plans to renovate it.
City officials argued the review was necessary to evaluate the facility’s potential effects on the surrounding community, including its infrastructure, economy and environment.
Court records show that the city and federal officials began negotiating a potential agreement shortly after the lawsuit was filed, prompting San Antonio to request that a federal judge remove an Oct. 26, deadline to seek a stop to the conversion.
“The parties are now negotiating a stipulation that would obviate the need for immediate emergency relief,” a motion filed on Oct. 22 stated.
U.S. District Judge Jason K. Pulliam granted the request that same day, placing the pending request for injunctive relief on hold and ordering both sides to provide the court with a status update by noon on Nov. 30.
Jones’ comments Monday provide the first public confirmation from city leadership that DHS has agreed to conduct the environmental review sought in the lawsuit.
However, the court filings do not specify the terms of any agreement, and it remains unclear whether federal officials have agreed to suspend renovations or other development activities while the review is conducted.
Jones acknowledged that the scope of the review remains an important question, saying the city wants to ensure it meets the requirements officials originally sought to enforce.
“We want to make sure that that [the review] is in line with what we expect,” Jones said.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment last week over the agreement. DHS did not respond to requests Monday for comment about the mayor’s statements or the status of the environmental review.
Jones said the city would continue monitoring the project and could take additional legal action if federal officials fail to follow through on the review or proceed with development activities before it is completed.
“We continue to monitor, and we continue to make sure that we understand what is and is not happening,” she said.
The mayor characterized the federal government’s agreement as an early success for the city’s legal challenge, comparing it to similar disputes in other communities where local governments have sought environmental reviews of proposed detention facilities.
The development comes after months of unsuccessful attempts by San Antonio officials to obtain information about the proposed facility. Before filing the lawsuit, the city sent five letters to DHS and ICE requesting details about the warehouse’s conversion, environmental impacts and opportunities for public input.
Although the agreement could address the immediate legal dispute, it does not mean the city has abandoned its opposition to the detention facility.
City Council previously approved a resolution directing city officials to explore additional legal and administrative measures to prevent or delay the facility, while also expanding those efforts to include two federal office leases at Brooks.
Jones said the city is still awaiting updates on those leases, which would establish a longer-term federal immigration-related presence on the Southeast Side.
For now, the mayor said the city’s legal efforts have produced the results officials were seeking, even as their broader objective remains unchanged.
“Look, pushing back has had the effect that we want up until now,” Jones said. “Obviously, the ultimate effect is no ICE detention facility in San Antonio.”
