SAN ANTONIO – A local immigration attorney warns that an increasing number of people are being detained after appearing in immigration court in San Antonio, a trend that could lead to a worsening humanitarian situation as space at detention facilities continues to dwindle.
Laura Flores Dixit, who works with the nonprofit American Gateways, which provides free legal services, said recent appellate-level changes mean nearly everyone showing up in person to court is now being detained — even if their case isn’t dismissed.
“Basically everybody at this point who is appearing in person is getting detained because of new changes in law at the appellate level,” Flores Dixit said. “Even though the judges are not terminating their cases, they’re still walking out of the court being detained, and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is saying, ‘Well, you will finish your case detained.’”
The greater concern now is capacity. Flores Dixit said detention facilities are running out of space and resources, making already challenging conditions even more dire.
“They are relying on breaking these individuals,” she said. “There’s not space at all for all of these individuals, and it’s becoming very tragic, even more tragic than it was.”
During a news conference on Monday, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar called arrests outside the San Antonio Immigration Court “disturbing” and vowed to take up the matter with Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.
ICE previously told TheTXLoop that agents have the authority to arrest immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission, even outside of court hearings.
For now, Flores Dixit and her team are continuing to advocate for more virtual hearings as a way to avoid unnecessary detentions, but only four of the seven immigration judges in San Antonio currently allow that option.
“I think it’s really important that people continue to recognize that this is an ongoing issue, that it’s only getting worse,” she said.
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