Alamogordo, NM (KKOB)- Otero County has formally responded to the New Mexico Attorney General regarding an emergency meeting held to approve a contract extension with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a letter sent Monday, County Attorney R.B. Nichols said the meeting was necessary after ICE provided a draft showing the agreement would expire March 15, earlier than the county believed. Nichols wrote the contract is required to meet bond obligations tied to the detention facility in Chaparral. About $19.3 million in principal remains outstanding, with a $5.2 million payment due April 1. He said defaulting could harm the county’s credit rating and increase future borrowing costs. Nichols also cited economic impacts, including 284 facility jobs. The contract has been in effect since March 16 and, he argues, cannot be nullified.
