ICE will no longer use Socorro warehouses, scraps detention center plans

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- On Tuesday, U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar announced that some Socorro, Texas, warehouses purchased by the Department of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will instead go to the U.S. General Services Administration.

"I’m pleased to announce that the Department of Homeland Security has transferred the Socorro warehouses to the General Services Administration (GSA). This means the warehouses will be put up for sale and the federal government will no longer use them for detention purposes," Rep. Escobar said in a press release.

In March, an ICE spokesperson told ABC-7 the agency bought property in Socorro to build "well-structured detention facilities" to hold up to 8,500 detainees.

By June, the Department of Homeland Security changed its plans to use the property as an ICE campus with offices, conference rooms and a privately-owned detention facility, Rep. Escobar said.

A DHS spokesperson sent ABC-7 the following statement on the warehouse announcement:

“From day one, DHS has remained singularly focused on removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from the United States and is always evaluating the best methods to do so. These heinous criminals, once arrested, should be removed at lightning speed, not housed on American soil at the taxpayer’s expense. DHS is moving swiftly to utilize EXISTING detention space with our state and county partners.”

ABC-7 also reached out to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for comment; an agency spokesperson said that they are working to provide us with a response.

The Mayor of Socorro, Rudy Cruz Jr., also issued the following statement: