ICE didn’t say where the facility was, but a source previously said it was eyeing a 640,000-square-foot warehouse in east San Antonio.
SAN ANTONIO — After days of concern and outcry from local leaders responding to reports that the federal government was on the verge of purchasing a warehouse for ICE operations in San Antonio, the agency told KENS 5 on Wednesday evening that the deal was done.
A source told KENS 5 on Tuesday it appeared a 640,000-square-foot facility on the east side had been bought by ICE, and San Antonio Councilman Marc Whyte, citing “city management,” said it appeared the deal was done. The confirmation by ICE that the agency “purchased land and a facility in San Antonio” is the first time the agency has directly responded to an inquiry about local plans.
ICE personnel did not say where the facility was, but a source previously said the agency’s eye was on a massive warehouse at 418 SE Loop 410, previously owned by Oakmont Industrial Group, which had been taken off commercial real estate listings in recent days.
“These will not be warehouses—they will be very well structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards,” the ICE spokesperson told KENS 5. “Every day, DHS (the Department of Homeland Security) is conducting law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe. It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space.”
According to property records, the building on the roughly 36-acre plot is assessed at $37.6 million. Officially categorized as a “mega warehouse,” it was built in 2022.
Tommy Calvert, the Bexar County commissioner who represents the east side, last week shared concerns that the facility “will traffic some of the most disreputable commercial activity since WWII.” And Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, the City Council representative for the east side, had called on constituents to email Oakmont and demand they not make deals with the federal government.
Meanwhile, city officials said Tuesday they had received “no direct information” about the sale, adding that since the city isn’t a party in the transaction, it wouldn’t have been involved. The city also said it had “no zoning authority” pertaining to use of the property since the federal government is involved.
The transaction by ICE could potentially further stoke frustration in a community which has on multiple occasions taken to the streets to speak out against the agency and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices over the last year. CBS News reported in January that ICE had surpassed 70,000 detainees for the first time in its 23-year history, an 84% increase from the same period in 2025.
This is a developing story.