EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took KFOX14/CBS4 on a tour of a processing center in east El Paso to show what life is like for detainees and to dispel any rumors of harassment or torture.
On Tuesday morning, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations hosted a tour of its processing center in El Paso.
Located at 8915 Montana Avenue near El Paso International Airport, this processing center is a stopover for some migrants after they are detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
The facility has a capacity of 840 detainees, but currently houses 730 people going through the immigration process.
For only ten percent of those detained, the procedure ends with the granting of asylum, as the authorities say it is very difficult to prove that they are seeking protection from persecution for religious or political reasons.
“The reality is that most people come into our care for economic reasons,” said ICE ERO El Paso Field Director Mary De Anda-Ybarra.
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The average length of stay in the facility is about 66 days, but may be longer depending on the individual case.
The tour showed the facilities available to inmates, which include a medical and dental clinic, a pharmacy, a kitchen and dining area where inmates receive a 2,500-calorie diet, sleeping quarters, a recreation yard, a hair salon and a library with legal resources for inmates.
KFOX14/CBS4 also saw how the facility provides inmates with free clothing, bedding and hygiene products.
“I hope people understand that this is a process,” Anda-Ybarra said, adding that ICE needs the financial resources and support to process migrant applications quickly and effectively.
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