San Antonio City Council voted Thursday, 9-2, to approve a resolution that directs City Manager Erik Walsh and City Attorney Andy Segovia to explore legal and administrative steps to prevent or delay a planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and processing facility on the East Side, and to challenge two recently announced federal leases at the former Brooks Air Force Base on the Southeast Side.
According to San Antonio Report, the resolution expands a prior effort that began with a federal lawsuit filed two days earlier, alleging the Department of Homeland Security failed to conduct a required environmental review before purchasing a nearly 640,000‑square‑foot warehouse on Southeast Loop 410. ICE intends to convert that warehouse into a detention and processing center capable of holding up to 1,500 people.
The council’s amendment, urged by Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, adds language asking officials to also block or delay the execution of two 15‑year leases for 75,000 sq ft of office space at WatersEdge at Brooks. KSAT reports the leases are valued at $42.5 million and $9.8 million, for a combined $52.3 million, while San Antonio Report cites a total of approximately $51 million. Both outlets note the offices are expected to house immigration‑related legal operations, including the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review and ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.
Mayor Jones warned that the leases would give ICE “a very strong legal footprint in our community,” potentially strengthening the agency’s ability to keep the East Side detention facility and expand its logistical network. Councilman Jalen McKee‑Rodriguez (D2), whose district includes the proposed warehouse site, called ICE’s actions “a threat” and argued the leases are linked to the detention project.
Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (D3) initially raised concerns about the Brooks leases but voted for the amended resolution, saying the original language was broad enough to let the city assist other groups challenging the federal plans. Conservative councilmembers Marc Whyte (D10) and Misty Spears (D9) voted against the resolution, arguing the measures waste taxpayer money and lack a clear environmental basis.
A DHS spokesperson dismissed the city’s environmental concerns, accusing local officials of using the lawsuit to undermine President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. The spokesperson also declined to confirm ICE office locations, citing “coordinated campaign of violence” against officers, and noted a 120% increase in the agency’s workforce nationwide.
What’s next: The resolution does not authorize new litigation but requires Walsh and Segovia to identify potential legal violations, coordinate with community stakeholders, and report back to the council. City officials said they will work with independent assessments of utility and infrastructure impacts and will seek further council approval before taking any action beyond their existing authority.
Sources: sanantonioreport.org, ksat.com
