Overview

The Cibola County Correctional Center is a CoreCivic ICE detention facility in Milan, NM (Cibola County), historically operated through a county Intergovernmental Service Agreement. As of early 2026 it held about 230 detainees. Cibola heat score is 62.

Cibola is one of two New Mexico CoreCivic facilities (with Torrance) that switched to a direct federal contract with ICE to bypass the state’s Immigrant Safety Act (HB9).

Key Details

• Operator: CoreCivic
• Location: Milan, NM (Cibola County, FIPS 35006)
• Population (early 2026): ~230 detainees
• Contract type: Now direct federal (CoreCivic ↔ ICE), no longer county-intermediated

County Exit + Direct-Federal Bypass (2026)

• On March 26, 2026, the Cibola County Commission voted to begin an “orderly and lawful wind-down” of its ICE contract, citing the Immigrant Safety Act (HB9) which bans county ICE agreements effective May 20, 2026.
• But the facility did not close. ICE and CoreCivic finalized a sole-source / no-bid direct contract — completed without competitive bidding — covering both Cibola and Torrance. The direct federal contract went into effect May 1, 2026.
• Because the county was removed as a party, HB9 no longer applies to the CoreCivic-ICE arrangement. The facility remains operational.

Why It Matters

Cibola demonstrates the core loophole in state-level detention bans: a county can lawfully exit, but a private operator can re-contract directly with ICE — without competitive bidding — and keep the same beds filled. The state ban moved the contract one layer up, out of its own jurisdiction, rather than closing the facility.

Sources

• ICE — Cibola County Correctional Center
• CoreCivic — Cibola County Correctional Center
• Source NM — Cibola County Commission votes to exit ICE contract (Mar 27, 2026)
• Santa Fe New Mexican — “Get the hint”: advocates disappointed at NM ICE facilities staying open
• Innovation Law Lab — Cibola County Correctional Center Timeline