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Senators have filed two competing bills in the Legislature around how cities and counties should use resources in aiding federal immigration enforcement.
Senate Bill 250 aims to block any local resources from being used to enforce federal immigration laws. Those resources include state or city employees, public funding, and facilities, like jails.
Sen.Cindy Nava, (D-Bernalillo), is one sponsor of SB 250, which she called a “clarity” bill.
“We are here to serve the people, and federal immigration law does not pertain to the state,” Nava said.
This legislation would prevent local resources from being used to identify or detain a person based on suspicion that they have entered the United States illegally.
Nava, a former recipient under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program (DACA), said she has seen the fear the Trump Administration has created in immigrant communities.
“We [Democrats] have come together to have these discussions through a lens of cultural competence. And these are folks that are working across the state, and the fear that’s been instilled nationally is not something that New Mexico will replicate,” Nava said.
In contrast, Senate Bill 87 would essentially make it illegal for the block in Nava’s bill to exist. It would outlaw any acts that prohibit the use of local resources to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration law.
KUNM reached out to the Republican sponsors of SB 87 multiple times, but the lawmakers did not respond.
This proposal comes after the Republican Party of New Mexico established an “immigration tip line” that would allow New Mexicans to email suspicions of undocumented people in their community. These tips are then sent to federal officials for investigation.
States like Florida and Georgia have policies similar to the language in SB 87. And the Trump Administration very recently sued Chicago over its, quote ‘sanctuary laws’, which closely resemble the wording of SB 250 here in New Mexico. Albuquerque and Santa Fe have already declared they will not cooperate with mass deportations.
Both bills are recommended to the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee. Neither have a hearing date yet.
Follow Mia Casas on BlueSky @mcasas03.bsky.social and on Facebook @MiaAmor.Casas
Mia Casas is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in Journalism and Theatre at the University of New Mexico. She became a student reporter at KUNM News in 2023 after she was awarded a New Mexico Local News Internship.
