This week, Representative Veronica Escobar (D-TX) announced the closure of a three-warehouse complex that would have been used as detention sites by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Socorro warehouses were purchased earlier this year to be turned into detention centers to hold over 8,000 detainees. Now, the warehouses will be sold, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will transfer the warehouses to the General Services Administration (GSA).
“This means the warehouses will be put up for sale and they will no longer be used by the federal government for detention purposes,” Rep. Escobar said.
Last month, Rep. Escobar raised concerns with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin about whether the warehouses could be safely converted into detention centers while meeting adequate safety and security standards.
“It truly is not feasible to convert those warehouses into spaces that will hold human beings, whether for training or staffing or detention,” Rep. Escobar told Mullin.
Through various oversight visits to other detention centers, Rep. Escobar reported witnessing detainees in severe medical distress. Mullin confirmed that these centers lacked sufficient space, along with other “issues.”
"My team and I have worked diligently to elevate these issues within DHS and ICE and ensure that the voices of our community were heard,” Rep. Escobar said. “My priority is to work with Socorro leadership to support our shared constituents and their needs.”
Rep. Escobar said that, beyond the conditions in the warehouses, it has also delayed the Socorro community’s work on economic development and growth.
“The community has also faced challenges with water, wastewater and general infrastructure, making the purchase of these facilities for detention a terrible idea to begin with, threatening their ability to execute on their future plans and growth,” she said.
The Texas congresswoman touted the closure of these warehouses as a major victory for the community, adding that it should not be the end of the conversation.
“This news will help all of us focus on that path ahead instead of the greater challenges a massive detention facility would bring,” Rep. Escobar said. “I will continue to productively advocate for our community and what is in the best interests of all of us."
