ICE Detention Facility Expansion
Summary
ICE ghosted a San Antonio City Council meeting recently, even as new numbers show they’ve been busy making 160 arrests in the area. It’s a clear sign that the friction between local officials and federal immigration authorities is only heating up.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 14
- Last 30 days
- 6
Last discussed Feb 17, 2026.
Impact analysis
Legal costs associated with potential litigation are currently being evaluated.
Local residents and advocates concerned about immigration detention policies.
Federal agencies seeking to expand detention capacity.
Mentions & discussions (17)
Mayor Jones willing to take legal action to halt East Side ICE facility developments
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said she will support legal action to stop renovations to a proposed immigration facility on the East Side, and most City Council members want independent reviews of the facility.
Hundreds march on San Antonio’s East Side to protest planned ICE detention center
Hundreds of people gathered on San Antonio’s East Side on Saturday to protest the proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center on Southeast Loop 410, a project some local officials say could harm nearby residents, infrastructure and the environment.
Protesters march to East Side ICE facility as calls for legal action grow
Opponents of a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center marched through San Antonio’s East Side Saturday morning, taking their calls for local officials to challenge the facility direct...
San Antonio mayor backs legal action to halt East Side ICE facility
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said Friday she now supports legal action to halt the conversion of an East Side warehouse into a 1,500-person immigration processing center. The announcement came on the eve of a protest march urging city officials to take a stronger stance against the planned ICE facility.
Opositores en San Antonio presionan al Ayuntamiento para que impugne proyecto de un centro de detención del ICE.
Los opositores al centro de detención del ICE en San Antonio están organizando una marcha de protesta para el sábado. Esperan obligar a las autoridades locales a adoptar una postura más firme contra las instalaciones y demandar al gobierno federal para impedir su apertura.
Mayor Jones: ‘Needless suffering’ could turn tough congressional districts blue
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones speaks during a one-on-one conversation at The Texas Tribune Festival 2026 on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Credit: Jacob Lujan / The Texas Tribune AUSTIN — Mayor Gina O...
City Council unanimously confirms Jesse Salame as new San Antonio police chief
Published September 10, 2026 at 5:46 PM CDT Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stori...
US set for largest mass visa revocation in history by targeting up to 200,000 foreigners, officials say
If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and would likely face legal challenges.
Migrant kids are being held in a South Texas detention center longer than a court order allows
The nation’s only detention center for families is routinely holding children beyond the 20-day limit, including an Iranian-born “average American kid” who’s been locked up for 123 days and counting.
16-year-old girl detained by ICE on way to church, US Rep. Joaquin Castro says
Local NewsEmely Suaza Chambo was a student at Churchill High SchoolA 16-year-old was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while on her way to church, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said in a...
11 indicted in connection with deaths of 7 migrants packed in sealed train container in South Texas
Federal prosecutors in San Antonio announced Friday the indictment of 11 people connected to the deaths of seven migrants, including a 14-year-old, who were locked inside a sealed, unventilated shipping container on a Union Pacific train in May.
Arrests made in migrant deaths discovered in Laredo and San Antonio in May
Federal officials continue to search for two suspects indicted in a tragic human smuggling case, which led to the deaths of seven people in a sealed container.
11 indicted in Texas smuggling case after migrants found dead in shipping container
Authorities said seven victims, including a 14-year-old child, died after being locked inside an unventilated shipping container aboard a freight train.
Records: ICE turned down mayor's invite to appear at San Antonio City Council meeting in January
Documents obtained by KENS 5 also shows ICE arrested 160 people over the last three months of 2025. Of those, 34 had criminal convictions.
Commissioners Court - Feb 17, 2026
The county is actively fighting the expansion of the local ICE detention facility. Officials are working with federal partners and legal counsel to stop the growth of this footprint.
What would Texas' latest immigration law cost Bexar County?
What would Texas' latest immigration law cost Bexar County? San Antonio Report
Border & Immigration
Stories from the southwestern border of the United States & Mexico, from TPR and NPR reporters.Texas Public Radio is supported by contributors to the Border and Immigration News Desk, including the Catena Foundation, the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation, and Texas Mutual Insurance Company.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
The weekly brief for Bexar County
What the council decided, in plain English — one email a week.
Free. Unsubscribe with one click any time. We never sell your email.