By Michael Hodock, The Independent
The Torrance County Commission voted unanimously Sept. 25 to extend the contract between the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until Dec. 31.
Although there was no discussion by county commissioners about the contract extension during the meeting at which it was approved, the majority of the public comments involved the renewal of the contract and commenters read statements from detainees at the facility.
The Independent reached out to three Torrance County Commissioners, two of whom were unavailable for comment. One commissioner directed questions to the county manager, who needed to collect more information about the contract before answering questions. The Independent has not heard back as of press time.
In statements read and translated when necessary by attorneys and advocates from organizations like Innovation Law Lab, the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center and Volunteers for Immigrants in Detention, current or former detainees said that they have been separated from their families and deported to countries like Venezuela that do not have deportation agreements with the United States.
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