Watchdog recommends relocation of detainees from ICE facility, citing unsanitary conditions and staff shortages
CBSN
A federal government watchdog on Friday recommended the immediate relocation of all immigrant detainees from a for-profit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in New Mexico, citing unsanitary conditions, staff shortages and security lapses detected during an inspection.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General issued the rare recommendation in a report about the Torrance County Detention Facility, which holds immigrants facing deportation in Estancia, New Mexico. The office said it conducted a three-day unannounced inspection of the facility in early February.
The inspector general office's investigators said they documented "egregious" problems at the New Mexico detention facility, which was holding 176 immigrants during the inspection, including issues that "exposed staff and detainees to excessive and avoidable unsanitary conditions."
