San Antonio, TX - John Lira, Marine Corps veteran and candidate for Texas’s newly redrawn 35th Congressional District, issued the following statement regarding ICE's proposed purchase of East Side San Antonio warehouse and calls to reject it outright.

“Over the past few days we have been alerted to the disturbing news that the Department Homeland Security and ICE have been in discussions with the Oakmont Industrial Group about purchasing its warehouse known as Oakmont 410 located 542 SE, Loop 410, San Antonio, which is in Texas’ 35th Congressional District.

After looking further into the matter, I strongly urge the Oakmont Industrial Group to reject ICE’s offer. I also urge our community to come together and oppose ICE moving into our neighborhoods.

No Mega Detention Camp in Our Community.

TX-35 is a majority minority District and we don’t want to be the epicenter of a migrant concentration camp.The Oakmont 410 warehouse was meant for commerce and business. It was never meant to be a prison and it was never meant to be a place for the Trump Administrtion and ICE to illegally detain, hold and torture people in our community.

The people of TX-35 are hard working, ethical and deserving of jobs that do not include violating the Constitution and being accessories to kidnapping and murder. These are not the type of jobs we want brought to TX-35. People here deserve well paying jobs that allow them to support their families without harming and robbing vulnerable people of their dignity.

Since last year we have seen the cruelty and inhumane treatment of detainees at the hands of ICE and we have heard the lies of ICE and the Trump Administration in defending their criminal actions. We have seen them murder courageous and patriotic American Citizens in Minnesota and around the country. We want to keep this facility out of the district, we want any contracts or discussions between DHS, ICE and the Oakmont Industrial Group to end.

Enough is enough.

I join other Texas leaders in rejecting ICE's bid to buy the Oakmont 410 Facility to use as an immigration detention camp. Congress must use their oversight power to halt this purchase.”

John Lira - Candidate for U.S. Congress, Texas-35

John Lira is available for media interviews. Please contact Juan Rodriguez at 312-771-0263 and juan@liraforcongress.com

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About John Lira

A fourth-generation Mexican American from San Antonio’s Southeast Side, Lira enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at 17 and served 11 years, including two deployments to Iraq. Using the GI Bill, he became the first in his family to graduate from college (San Antonio College, University of Texas-San Antonio) and later earned a master’s from Carnegie Mellon University.

He continued public service in the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative fellow, a management and program analyst at the Small Business Administration and AmeriCorps, and a national commission focused on military, national, and public service. Lira has dedicated his career to helping those who serve, from veterans starting businesses and to serving as the senior presidential advisor for Americorps. John is committed to supporting all those who serve their communities and country.