‘Beautiful, safe, humane’: Lawmakers tour Otero ICE facility, Dems livid

Lawmakers from across New Mexico toured the Otero County Processing Center on Monday, describing it as one of the most modern, clean, and humane immigration detention facilities in the country. The visit comes as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham considers legislation to ban ICE facilities statewide. This move would cost hundreds of rural jobs and tens of millions in local revenue.

Sen. Crystal Brantley (R–Elephant Butte), who helped arrange the visit after months of delays and cancellations by Democrat leadership, said the facility was “very transparent” and showed a high standard of care. “It’s important that legislators see these operations firsthand,” Brantley said. “We’re talking about over 500 jobs on the line and the safety of our communities. The facility was clean, well-run, and detainees were clearly receiving proper medical care, meals, and recreation.”

Rep. John Block (R–Alamogordo) contrasted Otero’s facility with what he described as “makeshift” conditions in El Paso. “If we don’t have this very nice, humane facility in New Mexico, you just drive 10 minutes and you’re in El Paso, where migrants are packed into an ad hoc center. What we saw in Otero is beautiful, humane, and far better than the alternative,” Block said.

Lawmakers observed spacious housing units decorated with murals of destinations like Tahiti and the Maldives, a meditation hallway complete with plants and waterfalls, and shaded outdoor areas large enough for entire units. Recreation facilities include basketball courts, Zumba classes, crochet and music programs, and detainees also have access to PlayStation consoles, a barber shop/beauty salon, and a non-denominational chapel. Meals are dietician-approved and tailored for kosher, halal, vegetarian, vegan, and allergy-sensitive diets.

Rep. Gail Armstrong (R–Magdalena) praised staff professionalism. “The facility was clean, well maintained, and detainees are treated with dignity,” Armstrong said. “Closing Otero would devastate our communities, including more than 300 jobs in Otero County alone.”

While Republicans and facility staff emphasized transparency, left-wing groups and activists condemned the tour as “sanitized.” The ACLU of New Mexico issued a statement calling it “theater” and demanding the passage of the so-called “Immigrant Safety Act” to close the state’s facilities. But Republicans pushed back, noting that legislators had full access to the operation.

Only one Democrat, Rep. Andrea Romero (D–Santa Fe), joined the tour — and promptly claimed she saw detainees “lying in despair” despite the apparent presence of recreation areas and amenities. Romero admitted that most detainees have no criminal history — before illegally crossing the country’s border — but downplayed the resources available, suggesting the facility put on a “rosy picture.” She also erroneously claimed these illegal aliens committed “civil” violations, although a 1996 law passed by Congress during the Bill Clinton administration makes crossing the border illegally a crime, not a “civil” violation.

Republicans and local officials countered that Romero misrepresented what she saw, ignoring access to attorneys, phones, law libraries, and recreation.

Sen. Nicholas Paul (R–Alamogordo) said the visit confirmed that closing Otero should not be a priority. “This facility is safe, clean, and humane. Shutting it down would be purely political,” Paul said.

Otero officials noted the facility also generates millions in gross receipts tax revenue and supports bond financing for local governments, making it a cornerstone of the county’s economy.

The bottom line, according to Brantley: “ICE will do its job no matter what. The choice is whether detainees are held in a clean, safe, accountable facility here in New Mexico, or somewhere else where we have no oversight at all.”