photo credit: Sen Crystal Diamond Brantley – Facebook

DEMING – State Sen. Crystal Diamond Brantley, District 35’s senator covering Deming and Luna County, visited the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Otero County, describing the tour as “eye-opening.” She said the facility “provides good jobs in Otero County and ensures detainees are treated humanely—far better than any alternative I’ve seen,” adding that the choice is between “a clean, safe, and accountable facility” or one where “we have no say in how detained migrants are treated.”

Her visit comes as immigration enforcement expands nationally, with recent operations reported at workplaces, farms, and community spaces, including in New Mexico. Immigrant-rights advocates have criticized the sweeps as opaque and overly broad, raising due-process and civil-liberties concerns, while supporters point to federal enforcement and public-safety priorities.

In New Mexico, advocacy groups—including the ACLU of New Mexico, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, the New Mexico Dream Team, and the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center—are promoting “know your rights” trainings and materials that outline what to do during encounters with police or immigration agents and how to seek legal assistance.

State officials have also issued guidance for schools, hospitals, courts, and places of worship on handling immigration enforcement while complying with the law. Companion guidance for colleges notes that institutions are not required to collect students’ citizenship information and explains protections for student records.

At the K–12 level, districts have reiterated protocols such as requiring any immigration-related request to go through the superintendent and legal counsel, limiting access to campuses, and protecting student information. 

This is a developing story; updates will be added as new details become available.