Jaen Carlos Nieves Carmeso
July 11, 2024To Whom It May Concern,
The New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) files the instant complaint on behalf of Jaen Carlos Nieves Carmeso, A#246215129 and others who wish to remain anonymous. This complaint will discuss the various violations that have taken place at the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) by CoreCivic employee, Alexis Atienzo.
NMILC has received numerous complaints regarding Alexis Atienzo’s treatment of people in ICE detention at TCDF. We are filing this complaint with multiple accounts of inappropriate and hostile behavior. We first highlight an escalated incident with detainee Jaen Carlos Nieves Carmeso (A#246215129), where Carmesí was accused of intentionally revealing his genitals to her. However, Carmeso was showering, and once he came out, he quickly ran to his dorm with a towel wrapped around himself. Atienzo told the other officer present to ask for Carmeso’s identification so that she could subsequently report him for purposely revealing his genitals to her. When the incident was reported to higher-ups, both Atienzo and Carmeso were asked to write a report about the details of the incident. There was camera footage that reconfirmed his accounts, that he was showering when she entered the unit and that he ran to his room with his towel around his private parts so she wouldn’t see him.
“Similar to the verbal harassment experienced by Carmeso, other detainees also cited how Atienzo would refer to them with racial slurs by using the n-word to refer to Black and dark-skinned detainees.”
Per the reports and camera footage, Carmeso was declared innocent of charges of intentional exposure. Despite the results of the case, Atienzo continued to act with prejudice towards Carmeso, referring to him as “negro feo” (ugly Black man). Additionally, she threatened him by saying he would stay at the detention center forever and that she would do anything possible to have him returned to the country he was seeking asylum from. Carmeso has expressed concern over the psychological distress caused by this continuous targeted mistreatment and verbal harassment by Atienzo.
Similar to the verbal harassment experienced by Carmeso, other detainees also cited how Atienzo would refer to them with racial slurs by using the n-word to refer to Black and dark-skinned detainees. These detainees expressed fear about reporting these incidents as Atienzo outlined repercussions that detainees would face if they reported her actions. Specifically, Atienzo threatened to take away the detainees’ access to showers. Atienzo also was cited yelling at some of the detainees as “inmigrantes hijos de perra” (immigrant sons of bitches) on or around April 8, 2024.
These dehumanizing actions convey the perpetual violence faced by the people in immigration detention centers. To reiterate, the incidents described are not isolated nor irregular, but rather reflective of the systemic injustices perpetrated by CoreCivic at TCDF. We request urgent investigation into these instances of abuse.
Respectfully,
Sophia Genovese
Managing Attorney, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center
