As part of its efforts to expand its physical presence around the U.S., Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reportedly leasing space at an office park in Irvine and at the federal building in Santa Ana.
As first reported by Wired, ICE is moving into offices on the 2000 block of Main Street in Irvine, a larger building part of an office complex near a childcare center, an Equinox gym and John Wayne Airport.
“This is news to me,” said Irvine Mayor Larry Agran.
“We try to maintain some channels of communication with Border Patrol, with ICE, with Homeland Security,” Agran said. “It’s not easy to do. They’re not very cooperative at all, and (not) letting us know what they’re planning, what their activities consist of.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not respond to requests for comment.
An inventory of owned and leased property maintained by the U.S. General Services Administration, which oversees federal property, shows a lease on the 2000 block of Main Street, but it does not list which agency is utilizing it or for how long the lease is in effect.
The federal building in Santa Ana is, predictably, also included on GSA’s map of government property. That spot is near schools and childcare agencies.
According to records obtained by Wired, Homeland Security officials asked GSA to hide lease listings due to security concerns and ignore normal lease procurement procedures.
A spokesperson for GSA did not respond to specific questions about lease procurement or the Orange County locations.
“GSA is committed to working with all of our partner agencies, including our patriotic law enforcement partners such as ICE, to meet their workspace needs,” an emailed statement said.
“GSA remains focused on supporting this administration’s goal of optimizing the federal footprint, and providing the best workplaces for our federal agencies to meet their mission,” it continued. “GSA is following all lease procurement procedures in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”
The offices, Wired reported, will be utilized by attorneys and street-level ICE agents.
“The City of Irvine learned about the potential Federal lease through the Wired.com article,” said Kyle Oldoerp, Irvine Police Department public information officer. “The referenced location is a privately owned high-rise office building, and at this time, we do not have any additional details. While we understand there may be community interest, the City has limited involvement in federal leasing decisions. We will continue to stay informed as information becomes available.”
News of the increased ICE presence comes a year into the second Trump administration, during which the president has placed a large focus on ramped-up immigration enforcement operations across the country, including in Southern California.
“Obviously, we try to understand what ICE is doing, and where in Orange County and, of course, we’re always concerned about what their activities might be in the city of Irvine,” said Agran. “So this suggests more than a temporary presence is coming here in Orange County and in Irvine.”
Rep. Dave Min, D-Irvine, also said he was “deeply disturbed” by the reports.
“ICE is completely out of control,” said Min. “This secret plan to expand ICE’s presence near sensitive locations, like the childcare agency in Irvine, is yet another example of how ICE operations are terrorizing our communities.”
“I am seeking answers into the status of this facility,” Min added.
Other locations of the expanded offices, per Wired, include Van Nuys and other federal buildings in Los Angeles.