Local officials react to reported ICE purchase of East Side warehouse

Acquisition of 640,000-square-foot facility sparks concerns from Democrats about immigration detention expansion in San Antonio

Published on Feb. 3, 2026

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Reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has acquired an East Side warehouse in San Antonio to hold detained immigrants had local Democrats voicing strong opposition, even as confirmation of the sale remained elusive. City officials said they had not received formal notification of the purchase, but some local leaders vowed to fight the potential expansion of ICE's presence in the city.

Why it matters

The reported ICE warehouse purchase is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to expand immigration detention capacity across the country, including converting warehouses into large-scale detention facilities. This has raised concerns among local officials and community groups about the human rights implications and environmental impact of such facilities being located in residential areas.

The details

According to anonymous sources, ICE recently purchased a 640,000-square-foot warehouse near Houston Street and Southeast Loop 410 on the East Side of San Antonio. The owner of the warehouse, Oakmont Industrial Group, did not confirm or deny the sale. City officials said they had not received formal notification of the purchase, but some local leaders expressed intent to fight the potential expansion of ICE's presence in the city, citing concerns about the environmental and human rights impacts of such a large detention facility.

  • The sale was first reported by the San Antonio Express-News on Tuesday, February 4, 2026.
  • On January 29, 2026, the San Antonio Business Journal reported that ICE was considering the recently built East Side warehouse, Oakmont 410, for a potential purchase.

The players

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws in the United States.

Oakmont Industrial Group

The owner of the 640,000-square-foot warehouse reportedly purchased by ICE in San Antonio.

Gina Ortiz Jones

The mayor of San Antonio who said the city had not received formal confirmation of the sale but was looking into options for the city council to consider.

Tommy Calvert

The Bexar County Precinct 4 Commissioner who believes there may be an opportunity to file an injunction to delay or stop the project due to concerns about the environmental impact.

Barbara Gervin-Hawkins

The Texas State Representative who said "We don't need a 640,000-square-feet detention center" and vowed to fight the potential expansion of ICE's presence in San Antonio.

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What they’re saying

“We should be closing down the facilities where children and families are being held in inhumane conditions—not building more of them. These warehouses that are being branded as 'processing centers' are just another way for the administration to indiscriminately lock people up and give the profits to its cronies. We strongly oppose any expansion of ICE's presence in San Antonio, and we will fight with every tool available to prevent it.”

— Joaquin Castro, U.S. Representative (D, TX-20) (Joint statement with Rep. Greg Casar)

“We're engaging as many civic organizations that we can. We're talking to our attorneys. And we've also reached out our federal partners, our congressional people, to say, 'What do they know?' And it's interesting that no one knows anything.”

— Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, Texas State Representative (D-San Antonio) (KSAT)

What’s next

The Bexar County Clerk's Office has not yet received any new land records reflecting the sale, but it can take a week or longer for those documents to be filed. Local officials are exploring legal options to potentially delay or stop the project, including the possibility of filing an injunction to block the purchase due to environmental impact concerns.

The takeaway

The reported ICE warehouse purchase in San Antonio has sparked strong opposition from local Democratic leaders, who are vowing to fight the potential expansion of immigration detention capacity in their community. This reflects the broader political tensions and concerns around the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies and their impact on local communities.