San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is urging Texas’ congressional delegation to block federal funding for a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the city.
In a letter sent Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2026, Jones asked U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, along with U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro, Henry Cuellar, Greg Casar, Tony Gonzales, and Chip Roy, to oppose any appropriations that would support the facility, reportedly acquired by ICE in San Antonio.
The proposed 640,000-square-foot ICE center would be located on the city’s Eastside, which the mayor describes as an economically depressed area. Jones argued that the project lacks transparency regarding the property purchase and warned it could further harm the local economy while failing to deliver meaningful employment opportunities.
Instead, Jones suggested pursuing alternative economic strategies, including eliminating tariffs and reversing cuts to social safety net programs, and expressed openness to discussing other approaches to boost San Antonio’s development.
“I welcome a conversation to discuss more strategic ways to enhance the economic development of our city,” the mayor wrote.