On Thursday, San Antonio City Council voted 9‑2 to adopt a resolution directing the city to work with community stakeholders to prevent or delay a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and processing facility at the Brooks campus. The move matters to residents because the city plans to convert a 640,000‑square‑foot East Side warehouse that could house up to 1,500 detainees daily.
The council’s action follows a lawsuit filed by the city against the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and agency heads, alleging the federal government failed to complete a required environmental review. Councilmember Jalen McKee‑Rodriguez (D2) called ICE a “threat” to San Antonians, while Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones urged the council to add language aimed at blocking or delaying two recently reported 15‑year leases at the WatersEdge II building on Inner Circle Drive.
Federal records show the leases are valued at $42.5 million and $9.8 million, for a combined $52.3 million, and are linked to ICE. Preston Hollow Community Capital, which controls the WatersEdge office buildings, told KSAT the leases are for administrative office space for the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review and ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and expressly prohibit detention facilities, holding cells or processing of individuals or families in custody.
Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (D3) introduced the original resolution but opposed the mayor’s amendment, noting “Preston Hollow holds the lease.” She ultimately voted for the amended version. Conservative council members Misty Spears (D9) and Marc Whyte (D10) voted against the resolution; Whyte called the lawsuit “fluff and cover” and a pretext for a political message.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said ICE would not confirm office locations, citing a “coordinated campaign of violence” against its officers, and noted that the agency now has an additional 12,000 officers—a 120 % increase under the “Big Beautiful Bill”—requiring more office space.
What’s next: The resolution tasks the mayor’s office with coordinating with neighborhood groups and legal experts as the lawsuit proceeds, and the council will consider further actions to limit the impact of the federal lease on the community.
Sources: ksat.com
