Three massive warehouses in Socorro will soon be listed for sale by the General Services Administration after earlier being considered as new holding facilities for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
The structures, each comprising around 296,000 square feet, were purchased in January of this year by the Department of Homeland Security for $123 million and became the focus of national attention when it was reported that they could be used to detain upwards of 8,500 undocumented immigrants.
That number, according to published accounts, would have made the Socorro facility the largest detention center in the country.
Those plans sparked a cohesive local opposition most visibly represented by Texas Democrat Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, who argued that the facilities could be put to better use.
On Tuesday, Escobar announced that the Homeland Security has transferred ownership of the structures to the GSA. “My team and I have worked diligently to elevate these issues with DHS and ICE and ensure that the voices of our community were heard,” she remarked in a statement.
Located at 13004 Gateway East, the three structures, which sit on a 9.5-acre site, were sold to DHS by a Kansas City-area developer.
Socorro Mayor Randy Cruz has said that he would be interested in entering discussions with the GSA to find a new purpose for the structures along economic development lines.
The structures are located roughly 23 miles to the southeast of El Paso.
August 13, 2026
Representative Veronica Escobar
