A company that operates a New Mexico jail where migrants are held is denying reports by inspectors of unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general said in a report that there are security lapses throughout the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, New Mexico, according to KRQE. The report suggested that all detainees should be immediately removed.
“We recommend the immediate relocation of all detainees from the facility unless and until the facility ensures adequate staffing and appropriate living conditions,” the report said.
176 male prisoners were jailed when the February inspection occurred, according to KRQE. The facility is privately owned and operated by CoreCivic, which is under contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). CoreCivic denied the findings and accused the inspectors of misrepresenting evidence.
“This deliberate effort to falsely portray our company and this facility in a negative light is even more disturbing because it was done under the guise of legitimate oversight,” Steve Owen, vice president for communications at CoreCivic, told KRQE. “We’re asking for an immediate review of the conduct of the inspectors.”
Several disturbances have occurred at the jail, including a November 2000 riot in which inmates and guards were injured, KRQE reported.