ERO breaks ground for new dormitory at El Paso Processing Center

EL PASO, Texas — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) El Paso Field Office Director Mary De Anda-Ybarra and five others, including members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, broke ground on the site of a new dormitory for the El Paso Processing Center in East El Paso on March 7.

The new building will replace four dormitories that were built when the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) owned facility was established in 1966. It will hold 216 people; the El Paso Processing Center has the capacity to hold 840 detainees. ERO will house detainees who are pending removal proceedings before the Executive Office of Immigration Review or are awaiting removal to their home countries.

“This is a new chapter for the El Paso Processing Center. We haven’t had any construction or major changes since the 1990s,” said De Anda-Ybarra. “This building is a positive for the ERO mission to uphold national security, public safety and border security. This building will help with our mission. It is important for detainees as we strive to provide the first step to much-needed upgrades. A new administration building is also being planned. These plans help with detainee health, safety, security and well-being. We will continue to arrest criminals, detain individuals, and ultimately remove those who violate our nation’s immigrations laws.”

Joining De Anda-Ybarra on breaking ground for the new building were John Christopher “JC” Lane, facilities branch chief of the Engineering and Construction Support Office with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ; John Petito, Office of Acquisitions and Facilities Management (OAFM) central unit chief; Johnathan Orloski, OAFM El Paso Processing Center building manager; ERO El Paso Deputy Field Office Director Jesus Ramos; and Flor Vega, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers area engineer who is overseeing the project.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ERO El Paso’s mission to increase public safety in El Paso, West Texas and the state of New Mexico on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROElPaso.