ALAMOGORDO – U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico says the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Otero County is overcrowded and largely housing migrants without criminal records.
After an oversight visit Wednesday, Vasquez said more than 80% of the detainees have no criminal convictions or pending charges. He also noted reports of non-working phones and toilets. The facility currently holds about 1,100 people, slightly above its listed capacity of 1,089.
Vasquez said he was shown empty areas, including a dormitory and kitchen, but was not allowed to speak to migrants. He expressed concern about detainees lacking legal access, saying those without money cannot use phones to contact attorneys or advocates.
ICE officials told Vasquez that additional detainees are expected as overflow from other facilities, though they did not provide details.
Meanwhile, U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar of Texas said she was recently denied entry to an ICE facility in El Paso and has joined other lawmakers in a lawsuit seeking to assert congressional oversight rights.
Republicans have defended detention policies. U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas said during a Senate hearing that entering the country illegally is a crime and that undocumented immigrants cannot expect the same due process as U.S. citizens. However, the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee that “no person” shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Courts have consistently ruled that this protection applies to all individuals in the United States, including undocumented immigrants, though they do not enjoy all the same rights as citizens, such as voting.
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