UPDATE: ICE to Close Detention Center in Artesia, New Mexico; Denver Immigration to Continue Hearing Cases

Contributed by Kim Tremblay, Associate Attorney

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced in November that it would close its detention center in Artesia, New Mexico.  Since June, ICE had been detaining migrant adults found with their children near the border at this facility.  The migrants are detained while the immigration court processes their cases.  ICE will move the detainees to another facility in Dilley, Texas sometime in December.

Two immigration court judges in Denver had been conducting hearings for the Artesia detainees via video conference since September.  Their regular dockets were cancelled and cases were taken off the calendar on a rolling basis, about three weeks in advance.  Contrary to previous announcements, these two judges will continue to hear these cases on a full-time basis.  Their regular cases will continue to be cancelled and taken off the calendar indefinitely.