Plans for ICE processing facility near Gilroy leaked, site under construction

GILROY, Calif. - Santa Clara County officials tell KTVU architectural blueprints and public property records have revealed that a major federal immigration facility is quietly being constructed in an unincorporated agricultural area just outside Gilroy, sparking immediate pushback from county officials and community activists.

ICE facility plans in South Bay leaked 

The leaked documents, first obtained by local news organization San Jose Spotlight and shared with KTVU, consist of more than 100 pages of detailed construction plans. 

Officials and journalists who reviewed the blueprints say they detail an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility designed for holding and processing detainees.

"What you are seeing in those documents is not necessarily a large-scale detention center like you are seeing in other parts of the state," said Brandon Pho, the government and politics reporter for San Jose Spotlight who broke the story. "But more an ICE office with space for detention, for detaining, processing, [and] interview rooms."

Pho stated that his organization rigorously verified the authenticity of the documents before publication, though he declined to name the source.

County counsel responds 

Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti confirmed that county officials have reviewed the plans and believe them to be legitimate. According to LoPresti, public records show the 24-acre site—located on Holsclaw Road and currently bearing a sign for Eurofins Biodiagnostics, an agricultural testing company—is owned by a private Beverly Hills-based company.

The owners have reportedly leased the vacant building and surrounding greenhouse area to the federal government.

"We have seen that in public records. This is property that has been leased for a 15-year term, five additional years for $26.5 million," LoPresti said. "That is a significant amount of money."

LoPresti added that the county is actively investigating the development and plans to use every legal avenue available to halt its completion. "We will take whatever action is available to us to hold the federal government to the law," he said.

Shockwaves throughout community

The revelation has sent shockwaves through the local community, which relies heavily on agricultural labor. Gilroy and the surrounding South County area are home to a large population of farmworkers, many of whom advocates say will now live in fear.

"Gilroy still has a lot of agricultural jobs. We are going to lose workers," said Rebeca Armendariz, a founding board member of Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy and Services (C.A.R.A.S.), a South County advocacy group. "More than that, our community is going to live in fear because this is going to be so close. We are mobilized; we are organized to push back against this in any way we can."

Construction at the gated property is already underway, despite the building appearing mostly vacant from the street.

Homeland Security's statement 

When asked for comment regarding the Gilroy site, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not deny the project but defended federal immigration enforcement operations.

"We have no new detention centers to announce at this time," DHS said in a statement. "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."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment.