New Mexico: Resources for ICE Detainees

This guide is for people detained by ICE in New Mexico and for their families. New Mexico has three ICE detention facilities: the Otero County Processing Center (OCPC) in Chaparral, the Cibola County Correctional Center (CCCC) in Milan, and the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) in Estancia. Together they hold approximately 1,500 detainees and have combined capacity for around 3,000. All three have long, documented histories of human rights violations, inadequate medical care, and restricted legal access, documented by the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC), Innovation Law Lab, ACLU of New Mexico, and the DHS Inspector General. On February 5, 2026, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 9 (HB9), the Immigrant Safety Act, banning local governments from contracting with ICE for civil immigration detention, effective May 20, 2026. However, all three facilities remain open through federal workarounds: ICE signed direct contracts with CoreCivic (bypassing Cibola and Torrance counties) effective May 1, 2026; Otero County extended its contract with ICE and operator MTC by five years before HB9 took effect (a move the NM Attorney General challenged and the NM Supreme Court declined to block). All three facilities fall under the ICE El Paso Field Office. Bond posts at ICE El Paso. Last verified: June 2026.

Step 1: Find Your Family Member - Right Now

ICE Online Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov

You need: the person's full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth - OR their A-Number (Alien Registration Number). New Mexico detainees may be transferred between the three facilities or to out-of-state facilities, especially under the HB9 legal uncertainty.

ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line: 1-888-351-4024 (toll-free)

EOIR Immigration Court Case Status: 1-800-898-7180

ICE El Paso Field Office (covers New Mexico): ElPaso.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (915) 225-0255

Otero County Processing Center (ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer): (504) 599-7845

Otero County Processing Center (facility line): (575) 824-0440 ext. 100

New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC): nmilc.org | (505) 247-1023 | Albuquerque

Innovation Law Lab (legal organizing, NM facilities): innovationlawlab.org

Step 2: The Three ICE Detention Facilities in New Mexico

Otero County Processing Center (OCPC) - Chaparral (Largest, Only Women's Facility)

26 McGregor Range Road, Chaparral, NM 88081

Facility phone: (575) 824-0440 ext. 100

ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer: (504) 599-7845

ICE case information: ElPaso.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Operated by: Management and Training Corporation (MTC) under contract with Otero County and ICE

Capacity: 800 male / 200 female (1,000 total contracted ICE beds)

Average daily population: 885 (FY2025), 902 (FY2026)

OCPC is the largest of New Mexico's three ICE facilities and the only one in New Mexico able to house women. It is located in Chaparral, New Mexico - near the Texas border, 25 miles east of El Paso - in the Tularosa Basin desert. The facility has been in operation since 2008 under an Intergovernmental Services Agreement between ICE, Otero County, and MTC.

OCPC has one of the most extensively documented records of human rights violations of any ICE detention facility in the country. A 73-page report titled 'Process by Torment' (2021, AVID and Innovation Law Lab) found conditions and violations consistent with definitions of torture. Documented issues include: inhumane conditions, woefully inadequate medical and mental health care, retaliation against detainees who speak up, rampant due process violations, deaths of detainees, suicides and suicide attempts, outbreaks of COVID-19 and scabies, discriminatory treatment, and systematic denial of legal access. AVID visitors consistently report a shockingly high rate of complaints.

HB9 status at OCPC: Otero County voted to extend its contract with ICE and MTC by five years before HB9's May 20, 2026 effective date - a move the NM Attorney General challenged as illegal and the NM Supreme Court declined to block via emergency petition. OCPC remains open and operating as of June 2026 through this county-extended contract. The NM Department of Justice continues to challenge the legality of the extension. The situation is legally volatile - monitor news closely.

Visiting: Non-contact visits. No firearms or weapons. No intoxicated visitors. All visitors subject to search. No items may be passed to detainees. Contact facility for current visiting hours and schedule.

Mail: [Detainee Name + last 4 digits of A-Number], [Sender's Name and Address], Otero County Processing Center, 26 McGregor Range Road, Chaparral, NM 88081. All mail subject to screening for contraband. Mail not read, only inspected. No electronic devices in packages. Detainees allowed to purchase stamps.

Attorney visits: Schedule through ERO eFile (ice.gov). Include cell phone number in Virtual Meeting Information section. Upload government-issued ID and bar card/license before appointment. If no time slot available: (575) 824-0440 ext. 100.

Cibola County Correctional Center (CCCC) - Milan

Milan, NM (Cibola County, approximately 80 miles west of Albuquerque on I-40)

ICE case information: ElPaso.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (505) 247-1023 (NMILC for legal referrals)

Operated by: CoreCivic under direct ICE contract effective May 1, 2026

Average daily population: approximately 235 (as of April 2026)

CCCC began housing ICE detainees in October 2016. It is located in Milan, New Mexico, approximately 326 miles from the Otero County facility. Cibola County voted March 26, 2026 to begin an 'orderly and lawful wind-down' of its contract in compliance with HB9 - however, ICE immediately executed a direct contract with CoreCivic (which owns the facility) effective May 1, 2026, bypassing the county entirely. This direct contract is set to last until April 30, 2027, with $13.4 million awarded as of reporting.

NMILC documented that as of December 2024, only 55% of all medical positions at CCCC were filled. NMILC filed a civil rights complaint with DHS in December 2024 regarding the staggering and dangerous lack of medical care. NMILC has conducted extensive legal services at CCCC for years. Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 for legal referrals.

Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 for visiting hours, communication procedures, and current facility contact information. Verify at ice.gov (search 'Cibola County Correctional Center').

Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) - Estancia

Estancia, NM (Torrance County, approximately 55 miles southeast of Albuquerque)

ICE case information: ElPaso.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (505) 247-1023 (NMILC for legal referrals)

Operated by: CoreCivic under direct ICE contract effective May 1, 2026

Average daily population: approximately 352 (as of April 2026)

TCDF opened in August 2019 as an 'asylum staging center' for people awaiting Credible Fear Interviews. Its original contract with ICE expired October 31, 2025 - advocates said ICE and CoreCivic continued detaining people past expiration in violation of ICE policy. Like Cibola, Torrance County exited its ICE contract under HB9, and ICE executed a direct contract with CoreCivic effective May 1, 2026. The contract runs until April 30, 2027. Torrance is remote, located east of the Manzano Mountains near a flat dry expanse in central New Mexico.

DHS OIG investigations have documented dangerous conditions at TCDF, including repeated issues with food services, cleanliness, and conditions that led to OIG recommendations for immediate closure in a 2022 surprise inspection. Advocates have documented deaths, hunger strikes, and terrifying rates of suicidality at the facility. Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 for legal referrals.

Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 for visiting hours, communication procedures, and current facility contact information. Verify at ice.gov (search 'Torrance County Detention Facility').

Step 3: Get Legal Help - New Mexico Has Active Legal Organizations

New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) - Primary Legal Resource

nmilc.org | (505) 247-1023 | Albuquerque

NMILC is the primary statewide organization providing free legal services to detained immigrants in New Mexico. NMILC conducts weekly trips to Cibola and Torrance for legal orientations and representation, and provides remote programming. NMILC attorneys have won bond hearings for detained immigrants and filed multiple civil rights complaints against CCCC and ICE El Paso Field Office. Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 immediately for any person detained in New Mexico. NMILC can refer to the legal program at specific facilities.

Innovation Law Lab - Anticarceral Legal Organizing

innovationlawlab.org | Portland-based but active in New Mexico

Innovation Law Lab works with the El Paso Immigration Collaborative (EPIC) to support people detained in New Mexico and West Texas, including Torrance. They operate a clearinghouse for detainees in ICE custody in New Mexico and West Texas who have been unable to receive other legal services. Contact through innovationlawlab.org for New Mexico detention cases.

ACLU of New Mexico

aclu-nm.org | Albuquerque - Active in documenting conditions and filing complaints at all three New Mexico ICE facilities. Contact for civil rights violations and systemic concerns.

Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center

lasamericas.org | El Paso, TX (serves southern NM and West TX) - ICE legal services for people held at OCPC and facilities in the El Paso area.

El Paso Immigration Collaborative (EPIC)

Contact through Innovation Law Lab and Las Americas - provides legal services for detainees in New Mexico and West Texas, particularly those with bond-eligible cases and negative fear decisions seeking reversal.

EOIR Pro Bono List

All three New Mexico facilities are required to post pro bono legal service lists in housing units. Ask your family member to request the list immediately. At OCPC: contact (575) 824-0440 ext. 100 for referrals. At Cibola and Torrance: call NMILC at (505) 247-1023.

Immigration Advocates Network

immigrationadvocates.org - National searchable directory; search by New Mexico.

Step 4: Bond - How to Get Someone Released

New Mexico falls under the ICE El Paso Field Office and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld mandatory detention in February 2026. This makes bond difficult to obtain for many New Mexico ICE detainees. However, NMILC attorneys have successfully won bond hearings, and Innovation Law Lab specifically targets bond-eligible cases through the EPIC clearinghouse. An immigration attorney must evaluate individual eligibility.

Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 immediately for bond evaluation. Do not wait.

Bond posting for New Mexico detainees

Bond for New Mexico ICE detainees is posted at the ICE El Paso Field Office:

ICE ERO El Paso: 11541 Montana Avenue, El Paso, TX 79936 | (915) 225-0255

Payment: Money order, cashier's check, or certified check payable to 'Department of Homeland Security.' Bring the detainee's full name, A-Number, and bond order from the immigration judge.

A licensed immigration bond agent can post bond electronically for a fee.

Bond Funds

National Immigrant Bond Fund

immigrantbondfund.org - National fund; requires family contribution.

New Mexico mutual aid

Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 and Las Americas for current New Mexico-specific bond assistance resources.

Step 5: Communication at New Mexico Facilities

Otero County Processing Center - Chaparral

Visiting: Non-contact only. All visitors subject to search. No items passed to detainees. No electronic devices. Contact (575) 824-0440 ext. 100 for current visiting hours before traveling. Chaparral is 25 miles east of El Paso, TX.

Mail: [Name + last 4 of A-Number + sender's name and address], Otero County Processing Center, 26 McGregor Range Road, Chaparral, NM 88081

Phone: Contact facility for current phone system. Detainees cannot receive incoming calls.

Attorney visits: ERO eFile at ice.gov. Exigent circumstances: (575) 824-0440 ext. 100.

ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer (for case information): (504) 599-7845

Cibola County Correctional Center - Milan

Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 for current visiting hours, phone system, and mailing address. Verify at ice.gov (search 'Cibola County Correctional Center') for current facility contact information.

Torrance County Detention Facility - Estancia

Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 for current visiting hours, phone system, and mailing address. Verify at ice.gov (search 'Torrance County Detention Facility') for current facility contact information.

Step 6: New Mexico's Detention Context and Your Rights

HB9 - the Immigrant Safety Act and the federal workaround:

Governor Lujan Grisham signed HB9 on February 5, 2026, with the explicit purpose, in the words of the bill's co-sponsor, of 'getting New Mexico out of the business of immigration detention.' The law took effect May 20, 2026 and bans local governments from contracting with ICE for civil immigration detention. However, the federal government executed direct contracts with CoreCivic for Cibola and Torrance (effective May 1, bypassing the counties entirely), and Otero County extended its contract by five years before the law took effect. The NM Department of Justice challenged the Otero extension, the NM Attorney General said it broke the law, and the NM Supreme Court declined an emergency petition. The legal battle is ongoing. All three facilities are open. Monitor news closely - the situation may change.

Documented conditions and deaths:

New Mexico's three ICE facilities have documented histories of deaths, hunger strikes, suicides, medical neglect, and abuse. Notable: the 2019 death of Johana Medina Leon (a trans woman denied medical care at Otero); multiple suicides and suicide attempts at Otero; DHS OIG recommended immediate closure of Torrance in a 2022 surprise inspection; 55% medical staffing at Cibola as of December 2024. If a family member reports a medical emergency, contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 and DHS OIG at 1-800-323-8603 immediately.

Fifth Circuit - bond is difficult but not impossible:

New Mexico is in the Fifth Circuit, which upheld mandatory detention in February 2026. However, NMILC attorneys have won individual bond hearings, and Innovation Law Lab's EPIC clearinghouse specifically targets bond-eligible cases. Contact NMILC immediately upon detention - do not assume bond is unavailable without consulting an attorney.

Do not sign anything without an attorney:

People detained in New Mexico have been pressured to sign Voluntary Departure documents, sometimes coercively and without legal counsel. Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 before signing anything. Say: 'I will not sign anything without speaking with a lawyer first.'

Key rights every detainee has:

The right to speak with an attorney. Contact NMILC at (505) 247-1023 immediately.

The right to a bond hearing evaluation - contact NMILC even if ICE has denied a hearing.

The right to adequate medical care. Documented medical neglect at all three facilities - report to NMILC and DHS OIG.

The right to be free from physical, sexual, and verbal abuse.

The right to communicate with your home country's consulate (free calls required).

The right to file grievances without retaliation.

To report conditions, medical emergencies, or file a complaint:

NMILC: nmilc.org | (505) 247-1023

Innovation Law Lab: innovationlawlab.org

ACLU of New Mexico: aclu-nm.org

DHS Inspector General: oig.dhs.gov | 1-800-323-8603

ICE El Paso: ElPaso.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (915) 225-0255

NM Attorney General (HB9 enforcement): nmag.gov

Quick Reference - New Mexico ICE Detainee Resources

Find a detainee:

ICE Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov

ICE Detention Reporting Line: 1-888-351-4024

EOIR Case Status: 1-800-898-7180

ICE El Paso Field Office: ElPaso.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (915) 225-0255

OCPC Supervisory Deportation Officer: (504) 599-7845

OCPC facility line: (575) 824-0440 ext. 100

Three NM ICE facilities (all VOLATILE - HB9 legal battle ongoing):

OCPC (Chaparral): 26 McGregor Range Road - (575) 824-0440 ext. 100 - MTC/Otero County

CCCC (Milan): CoreCivic direct contract - contact NMILC (505) 247-1023 for current info

TCDF (Estancia): CoreCivic direct contract - contact NMILC (505) 247-1023 for current info

Legal help:

NMILC: nmilc.org | (505) 247-1023 - PRIMARY resource for all three NM facilities

Innovation Law Lab / EPIC: innovationlawlab.org

Las Americas (El Paso): lasamericas.org

ACLU of NM: aclu-nm.org

Post bond:

ICE ERO El Paso: 11541 Montana Avenue, El Paso, TX 79936 | (915) 225-0255

Sources and verification: Santa Fe New Mexican, 'Cibola and Torrance Immigrant Lockups to Stay Open; Feds Contract with Prison Company,' May 7, 2026 (ICE direct contract with CoreCivic effective May 1; county governments were middlemen; new state law Immigrant Safety Act bans local involvement; Cibola County Manager Kate Fletcher 'not involved with ICE inmates'; Torrance and Cibola counties CoreCivic already owned buildings direct contract possible; Otero County owned by county direct contract not possible; NM DOJ filed emergency petition NM Supreme Court rejected; 235 Cibola 352 Torrance April 2026 TRAC; 875 Otero; $13.4 million USAspending.gov; contract until April 30 2027; ICE spokesperson Leticia Zamarripa confirmed May 1 start); Santa Fe New Mexican, 'ICE Detention Facilities in New Mexico Likely to Stay Open Despite New State Law,' March 18, 2026 (federal notice sole-source contract CoreCivic Cibola Torrance March 10; Project Salt Box; CoreCivic owns land and buildings; two-year contract; on-going continuously uninterrupted need; competitive bidding bypassed; NMILC attorney Martinez 'circumventing this process is a really really major red flag'; counties could not immediately be reached for comment); Source NM, 'Otero County Extends Federal Immigrant Detention Contract Again After First Attempt Deemed Illegal,' March 26, 2026 (Otero County Commission March 25 voted to cure contract; NM DOJ determined first March 13 attempt violated transparency law; unanimous vote extends contract; HB9 effective May banning arrangements; five-year extension 'shall not have the right to terminate'; NM DOJ Lauren Rodriguez 'reviewing matter including potential compliance with NM Open Meetings Act'; Otero attorney RB Nichols law cited does not apply; 'selective application'; substantial financial consequences bondholders emergency meeting 12 minutes); Source NM, 'Cibola County Commission Votes to Exit ICE Immigrant Detention Contract,' March 26-27 2026 (Cibola voted orderly lawful wind-down; letter to ICE and CoreCivic; House Bill 9 Immigrant Safety Act reason; Otero County first extended; Torrance meeting Monday extend until April 30; ICE CoreCivic direct contract announced earlier that month; language court might intervene injunction possibility); US DOJ court filing Case 1:26-cv-01471 May 8, 2026 (OCPC 26 McGregor Range Road Chaparral NM 88081; 800 male 200 female contracted capacity; average total detainee population 885 FY2025 902 FY2026; only civil immigration detention facility NM able accommodate female; PBNDS 2011 Revised 2016 compliance 29 standards November 2024 inspection; HB9 February 5 2026 signed Governor Lujan Grisham effective May 20; representative Eleanor Chavez co-sponsor 'get NM out of business of immigration detention'; substantial jobs revenue Otero County; Cibola 326 miles from Otero); Innovation Law Lab overview (three facilities OCPC CCCC TCDF; combined capacity ~3,000; all via IGSA county passthrough; OCPC since 2008; CCCC October 2016; TCDF August 2019 asylum staging center; Torrance contract expired October 31 2025 advocates say ICE CoreCivic detaining past expiration violating ICE policy; '73-page Process by Torment' 2021 AVID Innovation Law Lab OCPC conditions consistent with torture); NMILC detention page (nmilc.org; (505) 247-1023 Albuquerque; weekly trips Cibola Torrance legal orientations; remote programming Torrance Cibola men; bond hearing representation; CCCC referral 'call our office 505-247-1023 we can refer to the legal program'; Carlos bond hearing won attorney Adriel Orozco at Cibola; Silvia transgender woman Mexico Cibola); NMILC press release archive (December 2024 DHS-ICE El Paso Field Office 55% medical positions CCCC filled; NMILC formal complaint DHS CRCL December 9 2024 demanding investigation medical neglect Cibola; April 2023 NMILC civil rights civil liberties complaint against CCCC; August 2022 NMILC complaint against CCCC and ICE El Paso Field Office); Innovation Law Lab Torrance (EPIC El Paso Immigration Collaborative partnership; Torrance remote east of Manzano Mountains near Laguna del Perro; CoreCivic three agencies Torrance County US Marshals ICE; clearinghouse New Mexico West Texas people unable receive other legal services); Source NM bipartisan NM Civil Rights Commission advisory September 2025 (11-person NM Advisory Committee US Commission Civil Rights; October 2024 inquiry; called for closure all three facilities; July 28 voted 7-2; limited legal representation rights education unsafe facilities; Torrance food services cleanliness; 2022 OIG surprise inspection immediate closure recommendation; approximately 1,500 ICE detainees state steadily increased; Chair vice-chair dissented); ICE OCPC page (ice.gov; 26 McGregor Range Road Chaparral NM 88081; (575) 824-0440 ext. 100 if no time slot exigent; ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer (504) 599-7845; non-contact social visits; no firearms; no intoxicated visitors; subject search; no items passed; ERO eFile attorney appointments; cell phone number Virtual Meeting Information section required; mail last 4 A-number sender name address; all mail screening contraband; not read only inspected; 24 hours outgoing mail; no electronic devices packages; El Paso Outreach@ice.dhs.gov case information). Volatile items: Verify OCPC current legal status of Otero County five-year contract extension (NM AG challenged NMDOJ NM Supreme Court rejected emergency petition; ongoing legal battle; verify whether HB9 enforcement has been enjoined or whether NM has prevailed); verify Cibola and Torrance direct CoreCivic contracts current status (effective May 1 2026 through April 30 2027; $13.4 million; verify current operational status); verify whether NM Supreme Court or federal courts have ruled on HB9 enforcement (as of June 2026 all three facilities open through workarounds; major ruling could change landscape rapidly); verify OCPC current visiting hours before traveling (575-824-0440 ext. 100; call before 60-mile trip from El Paso); verify Cibola and Torrance current visiting hours phone system and mailing addresses at ice.gov or by calling NMILC (505) 247-1023; verify ICE El Paso bond posting current address and hours (11541 Montana Avenue El Paso TX 79936 (915) 225-0255; confirm before traveling). Last verified: June 2026.