EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The New Mexico House, Senate Republicans, and other lawmakers attended a tour of the Otero County Processing Center on Monday morning, Aug. 25.
State Sen. Crystal Brantley, R-Elephant Butte, says New Mexico legislators within the Court, Corrections, and Justice Committee (CCJ) were able to tour the Otero County Detention Center on Monday.
Brantley says that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has indicated interest in having a ban that would close ICE detention facilities in New Mexico.
Lujan Grisham was invited by the bipartisan group to tour the facility but declined the offer to attend.
Brantley says they gave a “short notice” in terms of their arrival, and saw that the facility was clean and personnel were transparent with them. Detainees were kept in humane conditions and were getting resources such as healthcare and meals.
Brantley says lawmakers are worried that Lujan Grisham will close the remaining camps in the state, which will terminate around 500 jobs.
About 45 percent of the detainees at the facility are felony offenders and are handled differently than the other 55 percent of detainees who are just seeking asylum or refuge, Brantley said.
“I think it’s important that all legislators attend these tours and get engaged. Not only will this potentially lose jobs, but it’s important that we make sure that there’s oversight in the detainee camps that are in humane conditions, Brantley said.
State Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, says the Otero County facility is much better in terms of living conditions than the facility in El Paso.
“If we don’t have this very nice, humane facility in New Mexico, you just have to drive 10 minutes and you’re in El Paso, and they have an ad hoc center that is not as beautiful and updated as we have in Otero County,” Block said.
Block adds that the facility has showers, toilets, Zumba classes, a library, and detainees have access to attorneys and phone calls.
“If you broke the law to come into this country, you broke the law. You came into the country illegally and we need to process you and put you back in your country of origin or somewhere else,” he said.
State Rep. Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, also sent out a statement following the tour of the facility:
“We want to thank the staff for their professionalism, transparency, and for taking the time to walk us through the entire operation. The facility was clean, well maintained, and we were given the opportunity to see firsthand the conditions in which detainees are living.
“We also came away with a clear understanding of the vital role this facility plays in our community. If legislation were to pass, shutting down facilities like Otero, it would mean hundreds of lost jobs, including more than 300 in Otero County alone. The other two facilities in Torrance and Cibola County are the economic drivers of their communities, closing them would be a devastating blow to the individuals, their families and to the communities they call home.
“House Republicans are committed to standing with the hardworking New Mexicans whose livelihoods depend on these facilities, and we value the willingness of the bipartisan effort to see these operations firsthand. These facilities are not only critical to ensuring the public is kept safe from criminal elements but also ensures that those in custody are treated with dignity.”
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