El Paso County leaders, immigration lawyers and advocacy groups say ICE officials are leaving people to languish in harsh conditions in hopes that they will choose to self-deport, even if some have temporary legal status or may be eligible for asylum.

Those who successfully challenge their detention are often left stranded at shelters along the border and forced to find their way home.

“It’s a torture situation,” said Melissa Lopez, the executive director of Estrella del Paso, a group that provides immigrants with legal services.

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