Otero County Processing Center
Chaparral, New Mexico · 11 well-documented stories
What stands out here
Conditions that appear in a larger share of this facility's stories than of facility stories in general. Stories run from Feb 2025 to Aug 2026.
Nothing stands out against facilities in general; the most documented conditions here:
- Pregnant or postpartum in custody18% vs 3%
The detained person was pregnant, miscarried, gave birth, or was postpartum or breastfeeding while held.
- Medical requests ignored9% vs 15%
Requests for care, a doctor, or an emergency response were refused, delayed, or dismissed.
- Shackled or chained9% vs 6%
Shackled, chained, zip-tied for long periods, restrained during transport or medical care, or held in a restraint chair.
share of stories hereacross all facilities
Everything the stories describe here
- Pregnant or postpartum in custody · 2 stories
The detained person was pregnant, miscarried, gave birth, or was postpartum or breastfeeding while held.
- Medical requests ignored · 1 story
Requests for care, a doctor, or an emergency response were refused, delayed, or dismissed.
- Shackled or chained · 1 story
Shackled, chained, zip-tied for long periods, restrained during transport or medical care, or held in a restraint chair.
- Food or water withheld · 1 story
The person went without food or water for an extended period, or was given spoiled or inadequate food.
In their words
No verbatim testimony extracted yet.
Stories
Juan N.: Work visa holder arrested by ICE at El Paso airport on ThanksgivingJuan Nevarez, a Mexican national with a valid work visa, was arrested by ICE at El Paso airport on Thanksgiving Day. He is held in New Mexico while his wife and four U.S. citizen children await the case's outcome.Nashville, TN · Aug 2, 2026 · NPR, NewsChannel 5, Taste of Country +1
Martha S.: Green card holder grandmother detained by ICE outside Chaparral, New Mexico storeMartha Sias, a Mexican-born green card holder, was arrested outside a Chaparral convenience store while on probation for a 2022 drug conviction. The arrest was caught on video and circulated widely before her family spoke out.Chaparral, NM · Jul 19, 2026 · KFOX TV, NewsNation Now, KVIA +3
Jorge V.: Venezuelan restaurant owner seeking asylum detained by ICE in El Paso, TexasJorge Vilchez, who owns Caracas Latin Food in El Paso, was detained by ICE on July 16 after organizing a June earthquake relief drive for Venezuela through his restaurant. His asylum case remains pending.El Paso, TX · Jul 16, 2026 · CBS 4 Local, La Patilla, KFOX TV +2
JeanCarlos F.M.: DACA father deported to Honduras after year in ICE custodyJeanCarlos Fiallos Manzanares, a Miami man with DACA status who lived in the U.S. over 30 years, was detained after a traffic stop and deported to Honduras after a year, away from his wife and sons.Miami Florida · Jul 1, 2026 · WLRN, The Marshall Project- Armando D.S.: Cuban husband detained at ICE check-in after four yearsA Cuban man who built a life in the U.S. with his spouse for four years was re-detained by ICE at a routine check-in without explanation. A federal court ordered his immediate release, ruling his detention violated due process.Chaparral, NM · May 6, 2026 · CourtListener
- Maylen B.N.: Pregnant Cuban woman diagnosed with diabetes while held by ICEA Cuban woman, about ten weeks pregnant and diagnosed with diabetes in custody, was detained after a local arrest in Odessa, Texas. A court ordered her released, ruling she had been held without a required bond hearing.Odessa, TX · Apr 3, 2026 · CourtListener
- Amanda C.: Pregnant Cuban woman held by ICE for months with minimal prenatal careAmanda Isabel Cardoso, 22, a Cuban immigrant awaiting a green card in Tampa, was detained nearly three months while pregnant with little prenatal care and was later diagnosed with preeclampsia after release.Feb 20, 2026 · News 4 San Antonio, CourtListener, Badawi Law
- Mohammad R.: Man held six months in immigration custody at Otero County Processing CenterA man held at Otero County Processing Center since November 2025 is challenging his six-month detention in court, with a judge considering whether it violates his constitutional rights.New Mexico · Nov 29, 2025 · CourtListener
Paulo Cesar G.L.: DACA father of four U.S. citizen children held 42 days by ICEPaulo Cesar Gamez Lira, a 27-year-old father of four, was held 42 days after agents surrounded his car with his young children present. A judge ordered his release, ending his separation from a three-month-old with serious medical needs.Albuquerque, New Mexico · Sep 24, 2025 · ACLU of New Mexico, Spectrum Local News, El Paso Times +2
Yasmir M.: Venezuelan asylum seeker with work permit detained by ICE after hearingYasmir Marquez, a Venezuelan asylum seeker with work authorization, was detained outside an El Paso federal building right after his May 29 hearing. Agents cited a document saying his case could be reopened; he is held in Chaparral, New Mexico.El Paso, TX · May 29, 2025 · El Paso Matters, Latin Times
Tarlis B.G.: Trans asylum seeker sent to Guantánamo by ICE, housed with menTarlis Marcone De Barros Gonçalves, a transgender Brazilian asylum seeker, says she was housed with five men and searched by male guards after being flown to Guantánamo Bay, then shackled painfully during a transfer flight.NM · Feb 15, 2025 · Them, Center for Constitutional Rights, Triangle Free Press +2
Where people stood at the latest report
Each square is one percent of these stories. Read it with care: people who are still detained or already deported have far less access to reporters and lawyers than people who were released, so this mix reflects who gets covered more than how cases end.
- Deported 9%
- Still detained 45%
- Released 36%
- Unknown 9%