NEWPORT, OR – A vague letter from a Texas-based defense contractor spurred concern in Newport that the federal government would seek to establish an immigration detention facility on Oregon’s Central Coast.

On Monday, Newport City Manager Nina Vetter and Mayor Jan Kaplan signed onto a statement alleging they were “made aware of information” indicating the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was already in the process of considering locations across the Oregon coast, including the Newport Municipal Airport. The move set off a frenzy of speculation and angst at a time of heightened immigration enforcement across Oregon, which has banned private immigration detention centers since 2021.

City leaders didn’t explain in that statement what information they had received, though they’ve scheduled a special city council meeting for Wednesday.

But a Nov. 4 letter addressed to Vetter by the Texas-based Team Housing Solutions, Inc. and obtained through a public records request shines light on at least some of the pressures facing local officials before they went public with their allegations. The company’s vice president of operations wrote expressing interest in a 4.3 acre parcel of land at the Newport Municipal Airport, with the goal of supporting “federal operations” set to begin by Dec. 1 and a contract for at least six months.

“This (letter of intent) is intended solely as a preliminary expression of mutual interest and is not a legally binding agreement,” wrote William Cavanaugh, the company’s vice president of operations. “No obligations will exist until a definitive lease agreement has been negotiated and executed by both parties.”

An assistant to Cavanaugh who answered the phone number listed on his letter said he was “off site for a couple days.” Cavanaugh did not immediately respond to an email inquiry.

The request also outlines several different uses for the potential facility, including parking for unspecified equipment and vehicles and space for mobile office trailers, storage containers and generators. It proposes the creation of a 12-foot security fence around the leased area “for controlled access.”

John Fuller, a spokesperson for the city of Newport, confirmed receipt of the inquiry and said Vetter has not signed it. She’ll update the community at Wednesday’s meeting, he said.

“We have received no further clarification on the letter,” Fuller wrote in a Tuesday statement. “Beyond that, we are working with our city attorney, community development department, and other local and state resources in these areas to explore our options and rights as a city.”

Team Housing Solutions does not have a track record of advertising itself for rehabilitation or in-custody services like other private immigration detention contractors, such as GEO Group, which operates the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s field office in Tacoma, Washington. ICE’s Portland waterfront location, a processing facility that cannot keep detainees for more than 12 hours, has a long-term lease operated through the federal government. The city of Portland alleges ICE repeatedly violated city regulations limiting detention time this summer.

Team Housing Solutions’ website shows that it specializes in lodging and housing solutions for government and military workers who travel, and it was awarded a contract with the Navy under the Department of Defense in early September. The group also highlighted its work as an industry leader in a Sept. 16 Youtube video featuring a base camp it created for the Texas National Guard.

It’s unclear what exactly led Newport city officials to make their Monday statement, which set off angst in an area with a large commercial fishing industry that has long regarded its air and sea rescue operations as necessary.

The city released a subsequent statement Tuesday confirming the U.S. Coast Guard moved a rescue plane from its Newport airport facility to a station in North Bend. The Coast Guard operates under the homeland security department.

State Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis, addressed the matter in a Monday newsletter to his constituents where he noted that the area has been able to avoid “the consequences and controversy of immigration actions that have challenged our larger cities.”

In an interview, Gomberg said he was doing the best he could to find accurate information. He was not aware of the letter, but said he was aware of another similar local bid for companies to remove 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of sewage from storage tanks every day, suggesting “that there’s gonna be a lot of people” at the site.

“Normally, we would prefer to sit back and wait until we actually know what’s going on before we begin to communicate about it,” he told the Capital Chronicle. “But the rumors are spreading so fast and so furiously through our communities that we as leaders felt compelled to say, ‘Here’s what we know, here’s what we don’t know, here’s what we’re trying to find out.’”

The city’s public records custodian said in an email that the city was still processing the Capital Chronicle’s records request with a goal of providing the documents or an update on Wednesday.

But in the meantime, rumors of an ICE facility have not died down.

“What I’m hearing right now is terrifying, and, if true, wildly unacceptable,” said U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, whose district includes Newport, in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “Just the idea that ICE might expand here by co-opting our search and rescue operation space and eliminating resources right before a busy crab season, putting lives in danger, is outrageous.”

Oregonians can watch the city’s Wednesday 6 p.m. special meeting here. There will be a 2-hour public comment period offering up to two minutes per individual before the city council makes statements prior to adjournment, Fuller said.

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