Project Jupiter opponent taken to jail, accused of giving deputies wrong name
An opponent of Project Jupiter, a massive data center in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, was arrested for disorderly conduct and concealing identity following protests at a Doña Ana County Commission meeting. The arrest marks the latest escalation in ongoing opposition to the project, which includes a previous civil rights lawsuit filed after earlier arrests.
Esperanza Chairez, a vocal opponent of the 'Project Jupiter' data center, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and concealing identity after protesting at a Doña Ana County Commission meeting in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The arrest occurred following a walkout by protesters during the Tuesday meeting, which also marked the one-year anniversary of the commission's controversial approval of $165 billion in bonds for the massive data center planned for Santa Teresa.
According to a statement of probable cause, sheriff's deputies allege Chairez interrupted proceedings by yelling against Project Jupiter and the commissioners. She was further accused of refusing to provide identification and instead gave her mother's maiden name and address. Chairez, who has no prior convictions, pleaded not guilty and was released the following day, with a pretrial hearing set for November 20. Another opponent, Sylvia Yancey, also received a disorderly conduct citation but was released shortly after detention.
Community organizer Lennie Dupass-Maldonado criticized the citations, suggesting they represent an abuse of county power, especially as protesters complied with deputies' requests to leave. These arrests are not isolated incidents; three demonstrators were arrested at a July 28 commission meeting, leading to a civil rights lawsuit. Commission Chair Manny Sanchez and Sheriff Kim Stewart declined to comment on the recent arrests. The article notes a national trend of increasing arrests related to data center protests, with Futurism reporting at least 37 nationwide.