New Mexico lawmakers plan bill to limit local police cooperation with ICE

New Mexico lawmakers announced plans to introduce legislation that would restrict informal collaboration between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to santafenewmexican.com.

This move follows a surge in arrests in Santa Fe and concerns raised by immigrant advocacy groups about the current gap in state law that permits local police to hand over individuals to ICE without formal procedures.

Advocates like Gabriela Carillo of The Semilla Project emphasized the impact on community members who wish to build their futures locally, while others expressed fear of local law enforcement's informal cooperation with ICE, particularly in certain counties.

The announcement came after a presentation to the interim Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee highlighted recent cases where local agencies assisted federal immigration enforcement through informal handoffs, based on data from the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center and other advocacy groups.

Lawmakers, encouraged by recent election results, intend to address these concerns by closing the legal loophole to limit such cooperation between local police and federal immigration agents.