ICE inquired about using Henderson police training facility, according to meeting agenda

Immigration and Customs Enforcement inquired about using a law enforcement training facility jointly owned by Henderson and Boulder City, according to an agenda for a meeting of the facility’s executive committee.

But the item was pulled from the Tuesday meeting’s agenda because it had been put there prematurely, a city of Henderson spokesperson said, adding that the existing agreement between Henderson and Boulder City that governs the training facility does not permit the proposed arrangement.

“Accordingly, the proposed item cannot and will not move forward under the existing agreement, and the matter will not be considered or contemplated under that agreement,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The item on the agenda for the Eldorado Valley Regional Public Safety Training Facility was “placed on the agenda without proper vetting, as the matter is premature and there is insufficient information to meaningfully consider or discuss the request,” added the statement, which did not include the spokesperson’s name.

Opened in 2015, the Eldorado Valley facility sits on 240 acres of land west of U.S. Highway 95 between Boulder City and Henderson and is jointly operated by the two cities. Henderson set aside $1 million to supplement $1.45 million in federal grants and other funding to help open the facility, the Las Vegas Review-Journal previously reported.

The Tuesday agenda states that ICE inquired about “developing on-site training locations paid at their cost” at the facility for use by ICE, the Henderson Police Department and the Boulder City Police Department, but does not provide additional details. The description also notes that the facility has been rented out to other agencies when it is not in use.

Two people submitted written comments that were opposed to giving ICE access to the Eldorado training facility, citing concerns including eroded public safety and trust, according to documents posted with the agenda. No comments were submitted in support.

In response to questions about why ICE was requesting access to train at the Eldorado Valley facility, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said in an emailed statement that the department has “no new detention centers or plans to announce at this time.”

In January, the Henderson City Council announced it was reviewing a contract with ICE that allows immigration detainees to be held at the Henderson Detention Center.

A city spokesperson did not immediately respond to a follow-up inquiry Tuesday asking whether the agreement with ICE was still being evaluated. City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause said in April that part of the reason the review has taken several months is that the city has never separated costs related to ICE detainees versus non-ICE inmates.