San Antonio officials are using a federal lawsuit to challenge the Trump administration’s plan to convert a warehouse into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center capable of holding up to 1,500 immigrants, while Democratic lawmakers prepare to use their incoming congressional majority to scrutinize and potentially restrict the administration’s immigration enforcement operations.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), whose district includes part of San Antonio, said Democrats intend to challenge the expansion of immigration detention facilities after taking control of Congress in January. “We are just getting going now,” Castro said, arguing that warehouses are not suitable for housing detainees.

The city filed its lawsuit in October after ICE purchased a nearly 640,000-square-foot warehouse for approximately $66 million. San Antonio argues that the Department of Homeland Security failed to complete environmental reviews required under federal law before moving forward with plans to convert the property. The lawsuit also raises concerns about the facility’s potential effects on local infrastructure, public health, and the surrounding community.

The legal challenge has already prompted negotiations with federal officials. The San Antonio City Attorney’s Office is discussing a proposed agreement with the Justice Department that would temporarily pause the litigation while environmental reviews are conducted. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said federal officials have agreed to conduct an environmental assessment, although the terms of a final agreement were still under discussion as of this week.

Jones has pledged to work with state and federal Democrats to prevent the detention center from opening. She has also criticized federal officials for excluding city leaders from planning discussions, saying local officials had repeatedly sought information about the project since February.

The proposed facility has generated opposition in San Antonio, a majority-Latino city where officials estimate approximately 100,000 undocumented immigrants reside. The Rev. Jimmy Drennan of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church said parishioners have grown increasingly concerned about immigration enforcement operations and the possibility that friends, relatives and neighbors could be detained.

Opponents have also pointed to complaints involving medical care, food and sanitation at existing Texas detention facilities, including the Dilley Immigration Processing Center and Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss. A separate facility in Laredo recently faced scrutiny following the death of a Mexican man whose family alleged he was a lawful U.S. resident and had been denied medication for several serious medical conditions. An ICE official disputed the family’s allegation.

Democrats are preparing to use their congressional majority to investigate ICE operations and consider funding restrictions. Immigration enforcement agencies have received more than $100 billion in funding, according to The New York Times. Castro urged the administration to suspend additional warehouse purchases and sales as lawmakers prepare to challenge the expansion.

Opposition to the project, however, is not unanimous among San Antonio officials. City Council members Marc Whyte and Misty Spears criticized the lawsuit, arguing that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and that City Hall should focus on local priorities such as public safety and infrastructure.

Hundreds of people also attended a protest organized last month by Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert. Calvert argued that the warehouse was not suitable for housing people, while Drennan said the project has contributed to fear and anger among residents.