County of El Paso to discuss legal rights and responsibilities of ICE detention centers

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso County is discussing its legal rights and responsibilities regarding ICE detention centers within county limits during today's El Paso County Commissioners Court in executive session.

This comes after the potential opening of a new ICE detention center in Clint, Texas. ABC-7 previously reported that the El Paso City Council will also discuss an agenda item at tomorrow's meeting to prevent the construction of more ICE facilities within city limits.

Today, County Commissioners Court took action on this discussion and will direct the County Attorney's Office to deliver a public presentation within thirty days to speak about the processes, status and framework associated with immigration detention facilities.

The County will also express its opposition to the construction of more detention centers in El Paso to the state and federal delegation, including Congresswoman Veronica Escobar,
Congressman Tony Gonzales, Senators Cruz and Cornyn and all other members of El Paso County’s state legislative delegation.

"The County Attorney’s Office will request, obtain, and compile any and all available
information concerning proposed detention facility sites within El Paso County from municipalities, planning and permitting departments, federal and state agencies and other relevant governing bodies, including elected officials and staff. Such information shall include, but not be limited to, site maps, applicable permitting requirements and processes, public notice and public comment periods, and meetings or discussions related to proposed sites," the County said in a statement.

The Department of Homeland Security provided ABC-7 with the following statement regarding proposed new detention centers in El Paso:

“At this time, we have no new detention centers to announce. Every day, the Department of Homeland Security conducts law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe. It should come as no surprise that ICE is making arrests in various U.S. states and is actively working to expand detention capacity.

ICE focuses on the most dangerous criminals, including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and others. Seventy percent of ICE arrests involve undocumented immigrants charged with or convicted of a crime in the United States. Thanks to new funding legislation, ICE has new funds to expand detention capacity and keep these criminals off American streets before their eventual removal from our communities,” according to an ICE spokesperson.

ABC-7 also spoke with El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and Precinct 3 Commissioner Iliana Holguin about ICE detention centers in El Paso.

"It's obvious that we're against a new ICE detention facility and we know the impact that a detention center would have if you look at it from the economy and economic development, it would take so much of our resources and we're concerned about resources for companies that go and they give back to the community, much less to something that's not going to give back to the community," said County Judge Samaniego. "We're probably going to be one of the biggest unfunded mandates it will ever have, if it ever happens; you could imagine having 8,500 individuals there, the infrastructure that's required, the movement of vehicles, it's going to be an impact for the community."

"The Commissioners Court is not in favor of any additional facilities, not only because all of the major concerns that we have with the existing facility located on Fort Bliss, where we've heard horror stories about detainees being fed rotten food, not having clean water, not having access to their medications, not having access to adequate laundry facilities," said County Commissioner Holguin. "Those terrible conditions that we've heard about, we certainly don't want another center that would actually be bigger, potentially holding up to 8,500 people, where we would see some of these same issues arise."

"Aside from that, we have concerns about our resources, because a center that holds 8,500 people will strain our natural resources even more. We already know we have issues regarding water access and electricity access, especially as more and more development happens out in Far East of Paso," County Commissioner Holguin added.