Since 2021, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury has been advocating for increased oversight of the Torrance County Detention Center in Estancia and for Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) to end its contract with CoreCivic, a private prison management company.
In April, the Torrance County Commission voted to extend the contract with CoreCivic for an additional four months, despite protests from advocacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union. The contract was set to expire in May.
Earlier this year, Stansbury and 51 of her colleagues requested increased transparency on ICE detention centers from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in an ICE Detention Closure Letter.
“The contract was extended but not renewed,” said Stansbury. “The technical difference is important because ICE themselves do not want to renew the contract, as I understand it. But they are under congressional requirements and the appropriations bill that they maintain a certain number of beds and due to geography, they’ve identified that location in the short term is a viable option to do so.”
Stansbury has long been an advocate for overhauling the immigration system in the U.S.
“There’s no reason to be detaining these people,” she said. “What folks need to understand is that when people come to the border, they are screened for safety risk and whether or not they may or may not be eligible for some form of asylum, and if they are not, they’re turned away.”
Stansbury went on to say that because the facility is being used for county jail services, it is not an appropriate place to be housing people who are awaiting asylum. “I understand why. Otherwise, they have to drive people all the way here to Albuquerque, and that takes their officers out of being out in the community.”
Stansbury said she and the rest of the New Mexico delegation will continue to advocate for ICE to sever its contract with CoreCivic and find an alternative solution for those coming into the state seeking asylum.
Unless the commission chooses to renew the contract with CoreCivic or grant another extension, the contract will expire in September.