Leaders protest reported ICE plan to convert Hutchins warehouse into 10,000‑bed detention facility
A coalition of state lawmakers and local officials gathered Wednesday to denounce reported federal plans to convert a massive Hutchins warehouse into a 1‑million‑square‑foot ICE detention center capable of holding nearly 10,000 people – a population larger than the southern Dallas County city of 6,000.
A press event on the grass in front of City Hall took place one hour before a closed‑door Hutchins City Council meeting that wouldn't accept public testimony.
State Rep. Aicha Davis (D‑Dallas) was joined by Rep. Linda Garcia (D‑Mesquite), Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez (D‑Farmers Branch), Hutchins City Councilman DeMarcus Odom, Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia, Dallas NAACP President Dr. Sharon Middlebrooks, and Eric Cedillo, legal advisor for LULAC National.
The pushback mirrors concerns voiced by city officials earlier this week. On Wednesday night, the Hutchins City Council met in a closed executive session with the city attorney to discuss the issue, though no action was taken.
City says it has no notice
According to a news release, federal reports show ICE has purchased the PointSouth Logistics & Commerce Centre's Building 1 for use as a detention facility.
The release noted that DHS has said it has "no new detention center to announce" and situated the proposal amid broader concerns about ICE operations in Texas, citing a measles outbreak at the Dilley detention center, the prolonged detention of Leqaa Kordia despite court orders, and a recent letter from 46 Texas House members reporting deaths in ICE custody at a 20‑year high.
After the closed session, Mayor Pro Tem Steve Nichols reiterated what Mayor Mario Vasquez told residents earlier this week: the city has not been approached by federal officials and does not support an ICE facility opening in Hutchins.
"Staff as well as city officials are still awaiting factual, official information about any potential plans for the property in question," Nichols said. "To date, no one from the city has been contacted by federal officials to discuss any such plans or local impacts."
A spokesperson for ICE has said there are no new detention centers to announce.
Rumors fuel concern among residents
In recent days, Hutchins residents have raised alarms about the warehouse after rumors spread online, prompting Mayor Mario Vasquez to reassure the community at Monday's council meeting that the city has received no permits, paperwork, or contact from the federal government about a detention center.
He said city leaders oppose the idea, pledged that residents will be the first to know if anything changes, and suggested holding a town hall. The council is scheduled to meet with the city attorney on Wednesday to discuss the building further.
For longtime residents like Deborah Bloomer, the idea of converting a warehouse near I‑45 and I‑20 into an immigration detention center has stirred anxiety.
"It used to be just a lot of fields," Bloomer said. "If you're off I‑45, you wouldn't think there's a community behind the warehouses, but there's a whole community." She said many neighbors are growing uneasy as rumors spread. "We look at the news every day and we see what's going on."
Community leaders push back publicly
Outside City Hall, Davis and several Democratic lawmakers pushed back.
"When we talk about how to improve our community and our neighborhood, this is not it," Davis said. "People here don't believe in having something like this in the community, and they don't believe in what's going on across this country with ICE."
Residents attending the meeting echoed that sentiment.
"People are scared to take action, so that's why we're here," said Lauriana Williams.
Calls for transparency continue
Despite reassurances from city leaders and ICE's public statements, concerns continue to mount.
"We've been on the map before, but this just takes the cake," Bloomer said. "It's too much."
Residents say they want transparency moving forward. City leaders have assured them they will be notified if new information becomes available, and the mayor has floated the possibility of holding a town hall.
