Otero County Commissioners renew ICE detention center contract, Immigrant Safety Act to take effect in May

CHAPARRAL, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Otero County Commissioners held an emergency meeting last Friday to discuss the future of the ICE detention center located in Chaparral, New Mexico.

Otero County Commissioners renewed a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to keep the federal processing center open, even though a new state law prohibiting such agreements is set to take effect in May.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Immigrant Safety Act in February, which prohibits state or local governments from renewing or agreeing to contracts to arrest people for federal immigration crimes or violations.

ABC-7 has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, the offices of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez, Otero County District 1 Commissioner Gerald Matherly, and Otero County Attorney R.B. Nichols for comment.

Watch the full story tonight on ABC-7 at 5 and 6 p.m.