DEMING – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich is calling for the closure of the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, citing unsafe and inhumane conditions reported during a recent visit by his staff. In a letter to ICE leadership, Heinrich described detainees being denied medical care, legal access, and basic sanitation—reporting backed-up sewage, broken legal-access tablets, and limited water during a three-day outage.
The facility, run by private contractor CoreCivic, has faced repeated criticism. CoreCivic denies mistreatment and points to favorable ICE audit ratings. However, Heinrich alleges congressional staff were improperly blocked from parts of the facility and heard detainee complaints of physical abuse and water restrictions.
Heinrich has called for an end to CoreCivic’s contract, while ICE has not issued a public response.
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