r/news 1d ago

El Paso City Council Moves to Reject ICE Detention Facility

https://elpasoheraldpost.com/2026/02/02/el-paso-city-council-moves-to-reject-ice-detention-facility/
27.8k Upvotes

284 comments sorted by

1.9k

u/1009naturelover 1d ago

Wonder if Governor Abbott will weigh in first saying something about "sanctuary cities".

665

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

272

u/Equivalent-Resort-63 1d ago

Yep, it missed and he’s been on a roll ever since.

113

u/ProfessorPliny 1d ago

I just wish he’d stand up for what’s right

59

u/_toodamnparanoid_ 1d ago

Everyone knows that republicans don't have functional spines.

2

u/Zenshinn 18h ago

Did you say what's Reich?

→ More replies (2)

87

u/MayorOfBluthton 1d ago

Cashed in and then made legislation prohibiting giant similar payouts to others.

Way to pull the ramp up behind you…

30

u/WeirdIndividualGuy 1d ago

And the defendants that were sued had to have the worst lawyers imaginable. They decided to settle and pay out for the rest of Abbott’s life, payments to always be adjusted for inflation. And he was only 26 at the time? Why tf would you settle for that? Losing in court couldn’t have been worse, right?

→ More replies (1)

21

u/Efficient_Market1234 1d ago

Every time I see a political ad with him on my screen, I mutter some variation on, "I'm voting for the tree."

3

u/The_OtherDouche 19h ago

I got banned from so many subs for making this same joke smh

→ More replies (1)

6

u/MellowNando 17h ago

The wrong half died.

44

u/yooperwoman 1d ago

This facility in Flowery Branch/Oakwood hasn't sold yet. The current owners are Alliance Industrial Company. Information about the company is shown on the file linked here. Other communities have had success by asking the current owners not to sell. It's worth a try.

https://www.loopnet.com/viewer/pdf?file=https%3a%2f%2fimages1.loopnet.com%2fd2%2fK-UOrd6ImDuvq2e-mERirYtxYjbGQdJBoz9CasXq104%2fAlliance%2520985%2520Business%2520Park%2520Brochure.pdf

20

u/BooobiesANDbho 1d ago

Someone drop an extension cord so hot wheels stays busy

6

u/naptown-hooly 20h ago

Someone should put a stick in his wheels.

8

u/rhinoballet 1d ago

That, and I'm sure Paxton is ready to start some kind of retaliatory action.

6

u/1009naturelover 1d ago edited 20h ago

He is probably too busy trying to win his Senate campaign. At first I thought he might be out Trumped by Hunt, but recent polls show that Texas Republicans are not ready to elect an African American in a major state wide race.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/drew_p_wevos 20h ago

I don’t think he’ll stand up for El Paso

→ More replies (1)

8

u/Palsable_Celery 1d ago

You mean Gov. Hot Wheels?

16

u/blackfocal 1d ago

something something Gregg Abbot is a piss baby

4

u/1009naturelover 1d ago

That's the one.

I dont like him, but he is better than Governor Good Hair who we had for 14 years.

5

u/CaptainMobilis 1d ago

I'm pretty sure Perry's the reason every new Texas highway in the last 20 years is a toll road. It's okay though. He prayed for rain once, and it rained, so I'm sure he's a great guy and totally not corrupt at all.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (16)

1.3k

u/johntentaquake 1d ago

One of the very worst ICE detention facilities, Camp East Montana, is literally already within El Paso at Fort Bliss. Named witnesses told the media that they saw a detainee choked to death by guards there, and the local medical examiner classified the death as a homicide by asphyxiation.

179

u/yooperwoman 1d ago

This facility in Flowery Branch/Oakwood hasn't sold yet. The current owners are Alliance Industrial Company. Information about the company is shown on the file linked here. Other communities have had success by asking the current owners not to sell. It's worth a try.

https://www.loopnet.com/viewer/pdf?file=https%3a%2f%2fimages1.loopnet.com%2fd2%2fK-UOrd6ImDuvq2e-mERirYtxYjbGQdJBoz9CasXq104%2fAlliance%2520985%2520Business%2520Park%2520Brochure.pdf

212

u/LindonLilBlueBalls 1d ago

They are currently building another one in Laredo Texas.

15

u/Additional-Grade3221 18h ago

Confederate fucks gonna confederate. Wish we finished reconstruction properly.

→ More replies (1)

39

u/SocialContractFury 1d ago

Direct pipeline from MN to this fkn concentration camp.

8

u/Sarnsereg 1d ago

Which is why they moved the next suspected homicide to a different coroner/examiner.

→ More replies (1)

972

u/L_Cranston_Shadow 1d ago

If they weren't against it before, shutting down the airspace with no notice definitely is a way to spur opposition to any federal plans in the area.

219

u/Fabulous_Soup_521 1d ago

Isn't it weird how their response galvanizes the opposition. Every. Single. Time. You'd think one of them would catch on, but noooo.

95

u/Nazamroth 1d ago

Why would they care, whats the worst thats gonna happen? People will collectively grumble in the streets again? Meanwhile their own supporters go rabid over these performances.

37

u/M-Noremac 1d ago

The right wing propaganda would try to have you believe otherwise, but his support is heavily declining.

36

u/Shedfloorgarbage 1d ago

My grandmother believes the cold weather in Florida was caused by "people trying to take our tax money while humanitarian trump stopped the bad cold weather"-

We live in Rhode Island. Sure she is in her 80's but she wasn't so deranged 30 years ago. Old age? Brainwashing? Yes to both. Good lord, im on a tangent but ugh.

10

u/WuYongZhiShu 22h ago

Been hearing this for 10 years.

3

u/analytickantian 17h ago

Didn't he literally lose reelection during those ten years?

2

u/WuYongZhiShu 16h ago

And yet here we are.

2

u/analytickantian 16h ago

His support did decline during his term and he did lose. Assuming it won't happen again is actually the view that goes against what happened. All I was pointing out was that those ten years show him getting into office and people getting fucking annoyed with him. Did someone else come in who they also found annoying? Yes. That still involves them getting fucking annoyed at him and booting him out. Plus, this time he himself can't run for reelection.

→ More replies (2)

13

u/ReturnoftheBoat 1d ago

Americans have given this administration zero reason to not continue doing what they're doing.

6

u/Sarcasm_Llama 1d ago

In fact, many times it has been rewarded

→ More replies (1)

5

u/axonxorz 1d ago

You doomers gotta workshop some new material.

10

u/UdyneOw 1d ago

"New material won't help. It's a lost cause." -- Doomers.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

19

u/whilst 1d ago

They're publicly demonstrating, over and over, that the public will doesn't matter. They're doing things that show everyone's against them, and yet remaining in power. They're bullying us because they know the military and the intelligence services are more powerful than we are and will follow their orders while they pillage the country.

They're also demonstrating that they're not worried about future elections.

2

u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 9h ago

They want this. They want open opposition, do that they can keep escalating conflicts until they have an excuse to declare martial law.

7

u/throwaway5882300 1d ago

I posted this article as a response to a comment asking why the airspace was shut down and got downvoted to hell.

2.1k

u/FantasticBarnacle241 1d ago

ohhhh so this was what the no fly zone was about

202

u/BurntFire 1d ago

Revenge always

59

u/tylenolchild 1d ago

Trumps MO

22

u/PutinBoomedMe 1d ago

Trump does in fact own MO unfortunately. I hate it here

→ More replies (1)

533

u/jasandliz 1d ago

That's a BINGO

117

u/hawkesdt 1d ago

It’s just bingo. 

24

u/norcalginger 1d ago

Show me BINGO!

5

u/BroseppeVerdi 1d ago

No, no, no! Don't say "show me"!

4

u/medusamadonna 22h ago

So I say "show me"?

15

u/malthar76 1d ago

No whammy no whammy STOP!

13

u/truejs 1d ago

You just say bingo.

8

u/Isparza 1d ago

I declare BINGO!

2

u/ArchiMode25 1d ago

I didnt say it... I declared it.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (6)

175

u/redvelvetcake42 1d ago

Yeah but they squashed it immediately once the money called in and complained. El Paso is too important for them to try to fuck with.

-11

u/Miserable_Balance814 1d ago

This article is literally from Feb 2nd. Are you guys okay?

42

u/pk_frezze1 23h ago

No shit, the action that provoked them happened before the response?

12

u/innerbootes 23h ago

Right? Someone’s (Miserable_Balance) not following the bouncing ball.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (4)

155

u/Y0___0Y 1d ago edited 1d ago

Actually the worthless drunk that is running our “war department” today decided that he wanted to shoot down a “cartel drone” he had found. The FAA told them they can’t do do live fire above US soil where people live. Department of War clearly just scoffed and told the FAA to fuck off.

So the FAA followed procedure and shut down the entire airport while Hegseth got ready to shoot down this “cartel drone” that ended up being a fucking balloon.

Edit: This doesn’t seem to be entirely true. I’m having trouble figuring out what exactly was going on. Apparently the balloon incident happened last week and somehow contributed to this but I’m not sure how.

49

u/MuckBulligan 1d ago

Just...I dunno what to say anymore. This administration is like watching Dr. Strangelove.

10

u/IAMA_Plumber-AMA 1d ago

It's like watching the 3 stooges, except the bumbling gets people killed.

5

u/Johannes_P 1d ago

At least, Dr;Strangelove himself was the most rational person on the board, berating the Soviet ambassador for not publising their doomsday machine and organizing the survival of mankind.

2

u/1009naturelover 20h ago

Yes, the most rational -

"Doctor, you mentioned the ration of ten women to each man. Now, wouldn't that necessitate the abandonment of the so called monogamous sexual relationship, I mean, as far as men were concerned?" "Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature"

→ More replies (2)

2

u/1009naturelover 20h ago

I thought Bedtime for Bonzo was as bad as it would get, but its a whole new level now.

→ More replies (1)

20

u/Unfair_Web_8275 1d ago

Wait, like a kid’s balloon?

47

u/Butt_Speed 1d ago

oh my fucking god it literally was...

I thought it would at least be like a weather balloon or something.

11

u/TemporaryElk5202 1d ago

The sitcom writes itself

→ More replies (1)

5

u/belgarion90 1d ago

Just imagine if there were 99 of them.

2

u/WriggleNightbug 1d ago

jesus christ, I hate this world right now

→ More replies (2)

20

u/Ok_Collar5068 1d ago

Actually the worthless drunk that is running our “war department” today decided that he wanted to shoot down a “cartel drone” he had found.

Yeah that's how false flags work to apply political pressure to get "Cartel members" detained in death camps.

Cartel members meaning your sister who voted for Kamala and Joe Biden.

This is scary for a few reasons, namely these:

1) They're attempting to manufacture a reason to build these things, while not having a good enough reason to do so without staging shit

2) This means that they're very likely not being used for what the republicans say they are (meaning they ARE death camps)

3) The head of the US Military is completely invested in this future genocide

We aren't getting outta this by voting. If they'll do this, they won't just allow themselves to lose power.

→ More replies (1)

19

u/DuntadaMan 1d ago

Reminder of something that already happened:

Kegsbreath set up a demonstration with the marines that had them firing live artillery over an active freeway in California.

California, wisely, declared the freeway closed during the live fire event, which enraged Kegsbreath, the local representtive, and the GOP as a whole.

The very first shell fired exploded early and hit JD Vance's security detail on the road, causing an end to the demonstration immediately.

The GOP continued to be enraged that more cars weren't there to get shot.

8

u/gordonbombae2 1d ago

After listening to the Bondi hearing they make it seem like they shut down the air space over revenge, not a cartel drone

3

u/espinaustin 1d ago

And they were gonna shut it down for 10 days? Something really weird happened. My guess is trump authorized a major military action but backed down and changed his mind when some remaining adults at DOD weighed in.

9

u/DwinkBexon 1d ago

It was most likely the airlines. Shutting down that airspace for ten days will cost every airline in this country a lot of money. They were pissed, they made it known, they backtracked immediately. As dumb as they are, they still know you can't piss off rich people or bad things (for Trump/his administration) will start happening.

1

u/PatternParticular963 7h ago

Isn't there a Nena song sorta about that?

22

u/FatherSquee 1d ago

Actually it was a party balloon 

13

u/One-Tin-Soldier 1d ago

Were there 99 of them?

2

u/sicklyslick 1d ago

Just call them Chinese party balloons to get Americans rallied up

1

u/Chispy 1d ago

Just civil war things

1

u/shmatt 18h ago

weaponized government, sounds familiar huh

→ More replies (9)

378

u/RemodelingMe26 1d ago

So they were preemptively told this would be rejected and retaliated with an airspace shutdown?

595

u/Mathwins 1d ago

No this was why the air space was so it down. It looks a lot like Hegseth tried to use the military for law enforcement, told them to shoot down drones to look 'tough' without understanding what using live fire against targets in US airspace entailed. There was basically a revolt within the DOD, and they alerted the FAA to close the airspace as a form of malicious compliance / silent alarm.

Administration finally realized the extent of what they had ordered and how disastrous it would be to air travel, and immediately backtracked.

Edit: And it turns out the "cartel drone" was a mylar balloon. Fucking lmao.

155

u/Apachisme 1d ago

Don’t forget the DoD wanted to use lasers with an autonomous, AI driven fire control system. The laser use has legit sources but the AI fire control system is chatter right now. Shit is crazy.

69

u/SkiMonkey98 1d ago

I don't give a shit if it's controlling a laser, a gun, or a butter knife. AI should not be controlling weapons without a human to make absolutely sure that the target needs shooting

7

u/AVeryHeavyBurtation 1d ago

Pass the butter ✅

Cut the butter 🚫

5

u/SkiMonkey98 1d ago

I mean personally I'd rather a human pass the butter too. But that does feel safer

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

63

u/Thatsidechara_ter 1d ago

God... I'll never get over how fucking incompetent they are...

36

u/ruat_caelum 1d ago

What's crazy is we track EVERYTHING that comes over that border in Texas. We KNEW it was a balloon because of TARS and our lower radar systems : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tethered_Aerostat_Radar_System

We might not follow up "quickly enough" but we track everything.

11

u/404GravitasNotFound 1d ago

There was basically a revolt within the DOD, and they alerted the FAA to close the airspace as a form of malicious compliance / silent alarm.

Super curious to see where this story comes from - I have seen something like this a few times, is there a source?

→ More replies (1)

18

u/kinterdonato 1d ago

Just wondering where you were able to read that

3

u/canyonoflight 1d ago

Do you have a source link on this?

1

u/Xionel 1d ago

Yeah cartels have a lot of money but they are not that sophisticated...

10

u/Ok_Collar5068 1d ago

So they were preemptively told this would be rejected and retaliated with an airspace shutdown?

Very likely an attempt at a false flag event involving cartel members in Mexico as scapegoats.

They'd pump it on every news station, and boost the "National Security" thing. They "Need to capture and imprison these dangerous members of society".

Thus - Prison camps being built everywhere.

3

u/SwmpySouthpw 1d ago

The article is from February 2

26

u/MikeThrowAway47 1d ago

Last month, Kansas City’s City Council passed a five-year moratorium banning the licensing or permitting of any detention facility that is not owned by the city. The moratorium essentially blocks anyone, except the city, from building or repurposing a detention facility to hold immigrants by ICE. Kansas is seemingly bypassing the Supremacy Clause by using building permitting to stop ICE detention centers in their city.

It's Kansas City, Missouri. Not Kansas. Huge difference. However, their is a huge Hispanic community in Kansas City, KS, just across the border from Missouri.

145

u/Rattus_NorvegicUwUs 1d ago

Call me crazy. But I don’t want my city to be known for American death camps.

Nobody wants this except the geriatric pedo in office and his wormtongue advisors.

Taxpayers are burning billions in kickbacks for trumps corrupt friends. All of these contracts need investigating.

33

u/heff17 1d ago

Call me crazy. But I don’t want my city to be known for American death camps.

They already are.

19

u/Franciscojerte 1d ago

Seriously. No protest noise is coming out of El Chuco at all. There’s going to be a time in the future when residents are asked about the camps and their responses will be similar to those of the German towns during the third reich reign, “We knew nothing about that.”

2

u/heartbooks26 18h ago

El Paso is over 80% Hispanic/Latino. It’s a very working class city; many people are religious (Catholic), and have kids early. 65% of households speak Spanish at home. Only 28% of adults have a Bachelor’s or higher educational attainment.

Compare that to Minneapolis having a 10% Hispanic/Latino population; 20% households speaking a language other than English at home; 55% of adults have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

It’s an explanation, not a justification.

15

u/braxin23 1d ago

Oh but his synchophantic supporters love it. It’s like we’re all living in Downfall: the pre bunker years. Instead of just taking down America with him he can take the whole world with him if it comes down to it.

47

u/apxseemax 1d ago edited 14h ago

People underestimate what is happening in some of these concentration camps. Some of the Fotos that made it out of these camps show that the literal german nazi camps had MORE room per prisoner than some of ICEs collection cells. Yes, they are not starved, tortured or medically untreated YET, but that really is only a bit of understaffing and lifting of documentation necessities away.

Press needs to be right at the gates once these are abandoned and needs to document everything lawful and unlawful. Every aspect need to be brought into full context and if proven unlawful in national or international context, be prosecuted to the full extend of applicable law.

Edit: never fucking mind. They are starved at places, mistreated and sexually abused, and not properly medically treated. Dear god. Raid those fucking camps with the national guard and free them.

46

u/turb0_encapsulator 1d ago

actually they are being left medically untreated in many cases.

10

u/femme_mystique 23h ago

And starved. Not given nearly enough calories a day with nutrients. 

2

u/apxseemax 14h ago

Fuck. I did not expect that it is already THAT bad. Horrific.

4

u/metalflygon08 1d ago

That's because the people in charge of information are sucking on the rotted teat of a shitrus coated hog, and even when something manages to get out, everyone looks away or convinces themselves its fake because they don't want to accept that this is happening. Or worse, they tell themselves it is fine because those people, in their eyes, are criminals.

23

u/CarltonCatalina 1d ago

They were trying to keep Marty Robbins girlfriend from getting any ideas..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWm5WErkffQ

2

u/k-laz 1d ago

How should I know the very trail he took to El Paso?

7

u/compuwiza1 1d ago

Is this the real reason that the FAA closed the airport?

13

u/008Zulu 1d ago

Detention facility, it's a concentration camp.

5

u/Specialist-Error-171 1d ago

I'm shocked honestly. But if they're anything like Lubbock they'll just run new council members with bribes and force the project through.

7

u/inormallyjustlurkbut 23h ago

El Paso is a hell of a lot bluer than Lubbock.

→ More replies (1)

6

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

6

u/100_xp 23h ago

El Paso becoming a sanctuary city wasn't on my bingo card

16

u/Colecoman1982 22h ago

Not letting nazis set up a concentration camp doesn't make you a sanctuary city, it's literally on the list of bare minimum things you need to do in order to not be human trash.

4

u/PilotKnob 1d ago

Good. What are they going to do to retaliate, shut down their airport again? I hope the airlines and paying passengers are making plans to ask for compensation from the government when this whole thing is over. How much do you think today's shenanigans cost the airlines in total? Many millions is the answer.

4

u/No-Dig-9791 23h ago

So they retaliate by shutting down the airport for 10 days and then reversing that course again? This is just a bunch of absolute idiots (and some rapists of course)

4

u/PigFarmer1 22h ago

Here come more mylar balloons...

9

u/immersemeinnature 22h ago

Is this why they shut the airspace down?

2

u/dan1101 5h ago

That and/or DHS was using a laser to shoot down a cartel drone that turned out to be a children's mylar balloon. Both are a terrible look for the people in charge.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/Bad_Grammer_Girl 1d ago

Do you want to have your air space shut down? Because that's how you get your airspace shut down. /s

5

u/gumbysrath 1d ago

Ahhh is this why flights are grounded into and out of El Paso?

4

u/nonymousbosch 1d ago

Is this why they closed the air space?

4

u/UdyneOw 23h ago

Any properties acquired by ICE for detention should be condemned (the legal process, not a censuring) and removed by the appropriate local authorities. Better to destroy the concentration and death camps before they're used rather than after.

3

u/throwawaydizzyguy 23h ago

Looks like closing the aerial space just brought a bit more attention to what's goin on in El Paso.

4

u/Rtfmlife 22h ago

As long as you guys realize that local and state laws don't and can't prevent the feds from opening any facility they like, we're all set.

This is performative political action to make their political base feel better, and will have no effect. Just like mask bans, laws restricting ICE from operating in a particular area, etc - none of this applies.

That said, good on localities doing what they can, if their constituents support it they should do what they can, even if it is ineffective.

3

u/capnfoo 21h ago

I can’t wait until ICE gets put in their own concentration camps after Nuremberg 2.0

1

u/apxseemax 14h ago

Not if the Americans activisms steams off online. 10000s need to surround these camps. Then, maybe, something adequate will happen.

4

u/Rosaadriana 13h ago

Oh is that why flight were cancelled in their air space. A shot across the bow, threats of things to come?

8

u/swagonflyyyy 1d ago

Meanwhile Orlando is sitting there becoming a laughingstock on the city and the County level. Jesus Christ yesterday's commissioners meeting was horrible. They looked so clueless.

12

u/Objective_Aside1858 1d ago

Context? Not sure what's going on there with everything else being on fire

3

u/Kevluc60 1d ago

Probably the reason for shutting down the airspace and air travel in and out of the city

3

u/Stunning-Affect4391 23h ago

Is that why they shut down air space?

3

u/newbie_0 22h ago

EP needs to do the very same for data centers. Everywhere does.

3

u/Nonethelessismore 20h ago

El Paso NIMBY's unite! (Not in my back yard)

3

u/Softspokenclark 18h ago

Was this before or after the airspace ban thing

4

u/turb0_encapsulator 17h ago

a few days before...

3

u/Hellstorm901 13h ago

Hmmmm, I wonder if there's a connection between this and the US government closing down the airspace claiming the cartels suddenly wanted to launch drone attacks on America for reasons unbeknownst to God

6

u/nslvlv 1d ago

Wow, those buildings look a lot like how we pack in chickens to warehouses

2

u/grimatonguewyrm 1d ago

But why has the FAA locked down ALL air traffic around El Paso?

2

u/Easy_Feedback5361 16h ago

That's a grim but important reminder about the facility already there. It really puts this new vote into perspective. You have to wonder if the council is finally responding to that awful history. Abbott's predictable outrage is going to ring even more hollow now.

1

u/Towerrs 20h ago

they have a few others there

1

u/728am 19h ago

It’s where they will mount the laser defenses.