County docs: Homeland Security purchases $122 million land in Socorro

SOCORRO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 obtained a series of documents from the County Clerk's Office that show a recent land purchase by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security worth $122,808,000, which was 'cash in hand paid', within the Socorro city limits.

Although neither DHS nor ICE has confirmed that the property will be used to build a proposed new immigration detention facility, ICE recently provided the following statement:

"ICE purchased land in El Paso, TX. These will not be warehouses — they will be very well structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards. Every day, DHS 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 an ICE spokesperson.

“ICE is targeting the worst of the worst including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members and more. 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities.”

The land is located near the Clint city limits, right under I-10.

On Monday, the City of Socorro's government social media posted the following video statement from Mayor Rudy Cruz Jr.

Last night, during a Socorro City Council meeting, Mayor Cruz Jr. made the following statement at the beginning of the session:

"Before we begin tonight's City Council meeting, I do want to take a moment to address an issue that has recently been brought to the city's attention. The City of Socorro has been made aware that local media is reporting information regarding a potential federal facility, specifically, a possible ICE-related facility in or near our community. At this time, this is very early information, and the city has not received formal notification or verified details through official channels. Because of that, we will not be providing additional comments beyond this statement at this time. However, I want to be clear that the City of Socorro is aware of this new information, and we will work with all members of the county and all of our elected delegations to seek more information, follow the law, and ensure that the safety and well-being of our residents remains at the forefront of every decision and every conversation. This is a complex issue, and we ask for the public's patience and understanding as we work together, verify the information, and navigate this matter responsibly. Our commitment to the City of Socorro and our residents remains true. As we receive additional verified information, we will review it and communicate updates accordingly. Thank you all for your time. Thank you for being here tonight. God bless the City of Socorro and God bless America," Mayor Cruz Jr. said.

ABC-7 reached out to the City of Socorro, requesting an interview with Mayor Rudy Cruz Jr., a spokesperson for the City said that: at this time, they will not be conducting follow-up interviews regarding last night's City Council statement by Mayor Cruz Jr.

On Friday, Texas State Rep. Vince Perez spoke about concerns local officials and leaders have for this area of town and other safety hazards they believe a potential new ICE detention center could pose if opened in the Socorro area of Far East El Paso County.

Watch the full story tonight on ABC-7 at 6.