Latino lawmakers spotlight due process concerns after touring Pahrump immigration detention facility
Members of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus raised significant concerns about potential civil rights violations Thursday after touring the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump, where they met with detainees who described being arrested by ICE agents during routine daily activities.
Facility conditions meet standards, but rights concerns emerge
The delegation, led by Assemblymember Cecelia González (D-Las Vegas) and including State Senator Fabian Doñate, State Senator Michelee Cruz-Crawford, and Assemblymember Cinthia Moore, spent nearly two hours at the privately operated CoreCivic facility examining conditions and speaking with detainees.
While lawmakers found the physical conditions acceptable, with Senator Doñate noting the facility was “very sanitary and very well taken care of,” they expressed alarm at accounts from detainees about how they came to be arrested and the limited access to due process.
“The officers that worked at the facility and the staff were very welcoming and respectful,” Doñate said. “Our conversations with many of the immigrants that are being housed there confirmed that as well.”
Detainee population doubles as enforcement intensifies
The visit comes as immigration enforcement has dramatically increased nationwide. The Pahrump facility currently houses 458 ICE detainees, more than double the 200 held there in October 2024. According to facility staff, ICE detainees now comprise approximately 40 percent of the total population, with the remainder being U.S. Marshal detainees.
Data from the New York Times indicates Nevada experienced a 289 percent increase in ICE arrests between late January and mid-June 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, marking the 11th-largest year-over-year increase nationally.
Confusion over legal status and arrest circumstances
Lawmakers spoke with approximately a dozen detainees who shared troubling accounts of their arrests. Some reported being detained while biking, taking children to school, or meeting parole obligations. Many expressed confusion about why they were arrested, with several stating they had committed no crimes.
“It was clear that some of them were confused as to how they even arrived there,” Senator Doñate explained. “Many of them did not commit a crime at all, and so there is this confusion as to what rights folks are being afforded to and what due process looks like.”
Two men specifically told Doñate they had been living in Nevada for years and were actively pursuing legal immigration status when they were detained at the federal courthouse.
Delays in accessing legal services raise concerns
While the facility provides access to legal services and translation, lawmakers discovered significant delays in detainees receiving these resources. CoreCivic staff, who operate the detention center, are not permitted to answer questions about individual ICE cases or provide translation services for immigration matters.
“It was clear that they had the ability to contact legal services, and there were translation services available to them, but ICE was not frequently visiting there,” Doñate noted. He described a “lack of miscommunication” between detention center operators and ICE officials, resulting in detainees waiting days or weeks for translation support when ICE personnel were present.
Limited information about detainee demographics
The delegation’s efforts to gather comprehensive data about the detained population met resistance. All ICE detainees at the facility are male, according to Department of Homeland Security data, but officials did not disclose where female detainees or children are held.
To obtain information about how many detainees are Nevada residents versus out-of-state transfers, lawmakers were told they must submit federal public records requests. The facility’s population is largely transient, with an average stay of approximately 40 days.
‘Self-deportation’ messaging raises alarm
Perhaps most concerning to the lawmakers were reports that ICE officials told multiple detainees their only right was to “self-deport.”
“What was very evident in our conversations with many of these detainees is that ICE has informed them that the only right that they have is to self-deport,” Senator Doñate said. “I want to make sure that it is clear that what we are seeing right now is not just an attack on immigrants. We are seeing an attack on lawful immigrants and U.S. citizens.”
Emotional impact on lawmakers
The visit proved emotionally challenging for the Latino legislators, who saw their own communities reflected in the detained individuals.
“It was emotional for many of us as well to look at these people and think about our own family members, our own community members, our own friends that we know that may not have legal status,” González said.
Broader context of immigration enforcement
The Pahrump facility visit occurred against the backdrop of unprecedented federal funding for immigration enforcement. Congress recently passed legislation allocating approximately $170 billion for immigration and border operations, including $45 billion for ICE detention facilities and $30 billion for additional ICE personnel.
This funding supports the administration’s stated goal of conducting what officials describe as the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history.
Call for community awareness
Following the tour, Senator Doñate emphasized the importance of community education about constitutional rights, urging residents to become informed about their protections under the law.
“When there is an infringement on our due process and civil liberties, that is an attack on everyone,” he stated, encouraging all Nevadans to understand their rights regardless of immigration status.
The Nevada Southern Detention Center, operated by CoreCivic, has capacity for 1,070 individuals and has been the subject of previous congressional oversight visits, including during the COVID-19 pandemic when conditions and health protocols came under scrutiny.
Image Source: https://news3lv.com/news/local/nevada-latino-caucus-raises-alarm-over-ice-rights-violations-at-pahrump-detention-center
Category: State News
Subcategory: Immigration Policy
Date: 07/12/2025
