Texas Democratic lawmakers are calling on national congressional leaders to strengthen local oversight of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations as the agency expands its detention system — a push that follows growing concern over a newly purchased ICE detention facility in San Antonio.
In a letter sent Wednesday afternoon to Democratic leaders in Congress, 49 Texas state representatives urged lawmakers to use ongoing negotiations over Department of Homeland Security funding — which Democrats are currently weighing as leverage over ICE detention and enforcement policy — to require greater oversight and authority for local governments when ICE operations or detention facilities are established or expanded within their jurisdictions.
The letter, led by state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, argues that ICE has increasingly operated without meaningful input from local governments, even as cities and counties absorb the economic, infrastructure and public safety impacts of detention facilities and enforcement activity.
“When ICE is on the ground, building detention facilities and terrorizing communities, it is local governments that are the most directly impacted,” Martinez Fischer wrote in a press release. “They are meant to be the last line of defense against tyranny, and yet, they are being pushed around by unaccountable masked thugs. I urge the U.S. Congress to return power to local entities and remember who put them in power.”
The lawmakers called for reciprocal cooperation requirements, saying that while local governments are often forced to cooperate with — and at times assist — ICE, the agency has no corresponding obligation to cooperate with local governments or respect local laws and community norms.
The letter was signed by nearly every member of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, including multiple lawmakers representing San Antonio and Bexar County, where reports of a warehouse purchase tied to a proposed ICE detention facility have drawn political and community backlash in recent weeks.
“For the sake of the communities we all represent, reciprocal cooperation and respect for the authority of local governments where ICE has been operating and expanding its detention system must be a priority concern in your negotiations,” the lawmakers wrote. “This is imperative especially for those places in states like Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott has enabled the cruel policies of the Trump administration, leaving millions of Texans without effective leadership to prioritize our concerns.”
Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
Mayor calls on Texas delegation to block ICE funding
Earlier in the day, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones echoed those concerns, sending a letter to members of Texas’ congressional delegation urging them to vote against any federal funding that would support a proposed ICE detention facility in the city.
In the letter, addressed to U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Reps. Joaquin Castro, Henry Cuellar, Greg Casar, Tony Gonzales and Chip Roy, Jones said neither her office nor city staff had received formal notification regarding the purchase of a large facility reportedly tied to ICE.
“I respectfully request that you vote against any funding bill that would allocate resources for the proposed 640,000-square-foot facility reportedly acquired by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at 542 SE Loop 410 Access Rd, San Antonio, Texas. I vigorously oppose this facility in our community- or in any community, for that matter,” Jones wrote.
In a statement to the San Antonio Report last week, ICE confirmed it purchased land and a facility in San Antonio for use as a detention center, citing new funding approved under the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The agency did not disclose the location of the facility.
However, deed transfer records show that the East Side warehouse known as Oakmont 410 — which has been at the center of public discussion and political opposition — was sold to the federal government, lending new context to the concerns raised by local and state officials.
City officials have said San Antonio has limited authority to intervene in federal real estate decisions. Under state and federal law, the city has no zoning or permitting authority over federal government property or property leased by the federal government, and it is not required to be notified of private federal purchases.
”To date, neither my office nor the city staff has received formal notification regarding the purchase of the large facility,” Jones wrote. “Our community deserves transparency around the proposed ICE facility and any activities there.”
Jones also pushed back on arguments that an ICE detention facility would provide meaningful economic benefits to the surrounding area, calling those claims “insulting and inaccurate.”
“I would offer a better way to increase jobs: eliminate the tariffs that have driven up costs in our community, and reverse the proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Such steps would actually help people,” Jones wrote. “I welcome a conversation to discuss more strategic ways to enhance the economic development of our city.”
Ahead of the primary election, the issue has also entered the county political landscape, surfacing at the Bexar County judge debate hosted by the San Antonio Report on Tuesday night. The two Democratic candidates outlined different approaches to opposing an ICE detention facility while operating within state law.
Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said that while legal constraints exist, local governments still have an opportunity to act before ICE begins operating the facility. “With regard to the ICE facility here in San Antonio, until ICE moves in there is an opportunity to stop it,” Nirenberg said, adding that to date he has primarily seen city officials try to take a stand. “Every square inch of the city of San Antonio is also part of Bexar County.”
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai said he is on the record opposing the detention facility but emphasized that county authority is defined by statute and the Texas Constitution. Sakai pointed to steps already taken by county leadership, including not assisting ICE enforcement actions without judicial warrants and funding immigrant defense services for children and families — actions that have drawn legal challenges from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“I was sued before by Attorney General Paxton on voter registration because I was protecting the right to vote and I will protect the children who are entitled to due process at this time because that is what the United States Constitution requires even though there are people that disagree with that,” Sakai said.
City Council to consider resolution on detention facilities Thursday
The push from state and local leaders comes a day before the San Antonio City Council is set to take up a resolution Thursday aimed at evaluating how the city can protect residents amid expanding federal immigration enforcement activity.
The resolution, introduced by council members from Districts 2, 4, 5 and 6, calls on city staff to evaluate a range of strategies related to non-municipal detention facilities, including a potential moratorium on permits and approvals tied to such projects, as well as an assessment of whether facilities comply with applicable federal laws, including environmental regulations.
The resolution also directs staff to examine whether the city could strengthen vendor accountability rules by requiring disclosure when contractors participate in immigration detention operations, and whether San Antonio has legal authority to decline contracts with vendors that also provide services to ICE detention facilities.
Other items outlined in the draft resolution include developing public signage informing residents and business owners of their rights, training city staff on immigration-related harm prevention and producing an economic impact report on the contributions of migrants in San Antonio and Bexar County.
City staff would also be asked to evaluate the city’s exposure to legal and financial risk related to detention operations, as well as explore mechanisms for holding federal law enforcement agencies accountable, consistent with state and federal law.
While the resolution does not block an ICE detention facility, it reflects growing efforts by local officials to identify areas where the city may assert influence, even as federal law limits San Antonio’s authority over federal land purchases and detention operations.
The City Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. at the Municipal Plaza Building.
