The Alamosa Holdroom that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been operating on State Avenue is an illegal use of the property, city council members were told at their Wednesday meeting.
But they determined there was not much they could do about it except to alert ICE to the zoning violations and more closely monitor its operations in the future so the ICE operations don’t expand.
After talking to ICE agents, Alamosa determined the facility “is and has been used as a temporary holding facility,” City Attorney Eric Schwiesow said.
“That use,” said Schwiesow, “is inconsistent with city zoning and has been inconsistent since 2005.”
Police Chief George Dingfelder said he informed ICE on Wednesday, April 1, that it is likely they are operating in violation of the city’s industrial zoning code. ICE representatives did not attend the meeting.
“I don’t understand why we’re even having this discussion if there is nothing we can do except put ourselves in a very precarious situation,” said City Councilor Mike Carson.
He later pushed for a motion adopted on a 6-1 vote to have the city officially notify ICE of its zoning violations and that the city would not allow an expansion of the use. City Councilor Jackie Vigil did not support the motion and wanted stronger action.
City Council members expressed hesitancy to get into a legal fight with the federal government, but expressed shock at learning that ICE operates a holding facility in Alamosa.
“I had no idea and it just surprises me that we have an actual ICE facility in our community,” said Vigil. “What concerns me the most is the stories we heard tonight of how people are being treated. It appalls me that I’ve heard these stories and never knew it even existed in our community.”
ICE agents told city officials that detainees are held in Alamosa for no more than 12 hours. However, city council members heard from community members who said they were aware of a mother, who along with her young son, was held in the Alamosa ICE holding room for 21 hours.
No one from the city has been inside the building to see conditions detainees are held under since it’s been in use by ICE. Schwiesow said he is unsure how many holding rooms exist inside the facility.
Data from The Deportation Data Project and reviewed by Alamosa Citizen shows 58 ICE detainees held in the Alamosa Holdroom between from 2023 through October 2025. The summer of 2025 was particularly busy with 37 individuals held between June and August.
The data is the most recent available through the Freedom of Information Act, according to the The Deportation Data Project.
“We promptly post data that we receive from ICE, but ICE has not agreed to release these datasets on any schedule, so it is impossible to predict when, or at what intervals, we will receive updates. We are actively seeking updates.”