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Advocates play detainee recording and ask Torrance County to end ICE/CoreCivic contract over sewage and mistreatment claims
Summary
Innovation Law Lab asked the commission to end Torrance County's engagement with ICE/CoreCivic at the Torrance County Detention Facility, played a recording alleging raw‑sewage flooding and repeated mistreatment of detainees, and requested the county stop extensions of the contract.
Representatives from the Innovation Law Lab urged the Board of County Commissioners to end Torrance County's relationship with ICE/CoreCivic at the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF), citing testimony and audio recordings they say were made by a person detained at TCDF.
Tiffany Wong said the group previously highlighted issues and that recordings from an individual named Eric Ramon Elvira described sewage flooding and daily searches. In the recording played for the board the speaker describes a cell overflow: "Last night one cell started overflowing. First, it started overflowing with just regular water then started overflowing with raw sewage, it was a profound smell. You cannot cover your face; it gets through the shirt. Whoever was in that immediate pod had to move upstairs for the open cells that were in that pod, and then we had to clean it up." Innovation Law Lab asked the Commission to terminate the county's engagement with ICE/CoreCivic over detention conditions.
Commissioners did not take immediate action on the request during the meeting. The public comment was recorded in the meeting record and the board accepted the submission; no formal staff report or motion to modify the county's contract with ICE/CoreCivic was made on the record at this session.
