The Torrance County commission in rural New Mexico voted to extend the authorization for a migrant detention facility through September despite objections from advocates for immigrant rights. Critics of the privately operated facility, the Torrance County Detention Facility, have raised concerns about inhumane conditions and due process violations. They argue that the facility has inadequate living conditions and limited access to legal counsel for asylum-seekers. Despite calls to end the contract with the private operator, the commission voted 3-0 to extend the agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for four months.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) revealed documents that show a 23-year-old Brazilian migrant at the Torrance County Detention Facility did not receive adequate mental health care before his suicide in August 2022. The ACLU urged federal authorities to reconsider the contract with the facility based on a review of circumstances leading up to the migrant’s death. The review highlighted the lack of appropriate health care provided to the migrant. ICE representatives did not immediately respond to the allegations raised by the ACLU.
County Commissioner Sam Schropp defended the current conditions at the facility, stating that the events described by the ACLU took place nearly two years ago and do not reflect the current situation. He dismissed the criticisms as hearsay and emphasized that if the facility were to close, the migrants would simply be relocated to another facility. The ACLU’s Mike Zamore called on ICE to conduct a new review of the detention center before extending the contract, citing dangerous conditions and chronic violations of federal standards. The detention center in Estancia can accommodate at least 505 adult male migrants, although the actual population varies.
Federal authorities proposed terms for a four-month extension of the services agreement for immigrant detention at the Torrance County facility. The county government contracts for jail space unrelated to immigration at the facility, which is also the largest payer of property taxes in the county. Despite ongoing concerns raised by advocates for immigrant rights, the commission decided to extend the agreement with ICE. Critics of the facility continue to call for an end to the contract with the private operator in order to address the alleged inhumane conditions and due process violations at the Torrance County Detention Facility.
