“What They’re Doing to Me is an Injustice”: Violations of the 2011 Performance-Based National Detention Standards in New Mexico Immigration Detention Facilities
MARCH 12, 2024 — Researchers Diana Buda, Daisy Gomez Rivera, and Natalia Ocampo expose ICE and CoreCivic’s violations of national detention standards at the Torrance County Detention Facility and the Cibola County Correctional Center in their report “What They’re Doing to Me is an Injustice”: Violations of the 2011 Performance-Based National Detention Standards in New Mexico Immigration Detention Facilities.
Through extensive interviewing of people in ICE custody at the two facilities, Buda, Gomez Rivera, and Ocampo identified dozens of violations, including excessive use of force, noncompliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), inadequate medical care, among others. This first of its kind report lays bare ICE and CoreCivic’s failure to follow the PBNDS at Torrance and Cibola and underscores the ineffective oversight mechanisms tasked with monitoring these issues.
DIANA BUDA STATES:
“People’s dignity, wellbeing, and safety are gravely jeopardized by immigration detention. ICE claims to monitor its detention centers through oversight mechanisms, but the accounts shared in this report highlight many concerning ways its facilities fail to comply with national detention standards – all at the expense of migrants and asylum seekers. My hope is that through these stories, the public and lawmakers alike are not only made aware of the atrocities occurring every day in detention facilities, but are encouraged to join the call for a just and humane immigration system – one where immigration detention does not exist.”
DAISY GOMEZ RIVERA STATES:
“The people we interviewed are only a small fraction of the migrants being held in detention. They shared with us violations of the 2011 PBNDS standards that affected them both physically and emotionally. The Torrance County Detention Facility and Cibola County Correctional Center fail to make changes, causing continued harm. Migrants feel defeated as they await their process in detention. ICE has long evaded responsibility, migrants deserve to have a process where their human rights are not being violated. The time is now to terminate ICE contracts and prevent others from forming to protect future migrants from these dangerous conditions.”
NATALIA OCAMPO STATES:
“The violations of the PBNDS highlighted during our interviews represent a betrayal of human rights. These actions underscore systemic failures within the immigration system, resulting in the dehumanization and mistreatment of vulnerable individuals seeking safety and opportunities in the United States. I hope that by sharing the stories of the individuals we met, we not only shed light on the grotesque conditions they endure but also inspire others to advocate for a future where detention centers do not exist.”
Diana, Daisy, and Natalia are Mexican-American undergraduate students at Colorado College.
The three will graduate in the Spring with Bachelors’ in Sociology.
Diana Buda
Diana is from the Chicago area where she was raised by an immigrant mother. She is passionate about immigrants’ rights and deconstructing systems of injustice. She plans to continue engaging in related work in the future in hopes of creating a more equitable society for those she considers her community.
Daisy Gomez Rivera
Daisy was born and raised in the Denver Metro area. She was brought up by her older sister from the age of six. Since her beginnings she has been impacted by the injustices that the immigration systems bring. This is the reason she has dedicated her undergraduate time being an advocate for migrant voices and allowing for their stories to be heard. She hopes to continue the work she has grown passionate about.
Natalia Ocampo
Natalia is from the Chicago area where she was raised in a mixed status household, experiencing first hand the complexities of immigration. Throughout her undergraduate years, she grew passionate and focused on immigration rights and social justice. She aims to continue with this work in her professional career.
