Human Rights Groups Demand Termination of Detention Facility

A coalition of human rights groups has criticized a privately operated migrant detention facility in New Mexico for its broken screening system, which they say leads to inappropriate deportations of migrants with valid asylum claims.

The groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed a complaint urging the US government to end its contract with the private company that runs the facility. The complaint also documents allegations of retaliation against migrants who raise objections to asylum procedures and living conditions.

The report comes a year after a Brazilian migrant committed suicide while in detention at the facility. Many initial interviews at the facility are conducted without access to legal counseling or other key legal requirements, and migrants are often denied access to their own case files during the appeals process, leaving them to challenge decisions they've never seen.

The Torrance County facility, which was repurposed in January to expedite asylum screenings, has seen significantly lower pass rates compared to the national average. The complaint also highlights the lack of privacy during screening interviews, which are easily overheard by other migrants due to thin partitions and inadequate noise barriers.

The facility has come under scrutiny before for unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Despite disputes between CoreCivic, the private detention company, and ICE officials over these findings, the report calls for the termination of CoreCivic's contract. Representatives for CoreCivic did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Homeland Security officials have not yet provided a response to the report.