HB9 Advances With Stronger Protections for Immigrant Communities

SANTA FE, NM — Today, New Mexico lawmakers in the House Judiciary Committee moved forward HB9, the Immigrant Safety Act, with a critical amendment that strengthens protections for immigrant communities by prohibiting any public body, including local law enforcement agencies, from detaining, transporting, or apprehending immigrants under 287 (g) agreements with federal immigration agencies. These agreements turn local law enforcement into immigration agents and put New Mexicans’ public safety at risk and immigrant communities in harm’s way.

The amended bill makes clear New Mexico would not allow local or state entities to act as an extension of ICE or other federal immigration agencies, utilizing limited public safety resources to detain New Mexicans for civil immigration violations. HB9, as amended, would help ensure mixed-status families participate in the state’s public safety efforts and it would prevent family separation, prolonged detention, and serious civil rights abuses. It would also minimize liability for local governments when civil rights abuses occur. These agreements have resulted in costly civil rights lawsuits across the country.

At a moment when immigrant families are facing increased violence, deaths in custody, and escalating enforcement tactics by ICE, Border Patrol, and other federal agencies, these protections are urgently needed.

Data shows 287(g) agreements have been used in other states to detain people who had not been convicted of a crime, placing them directly into ICE custody. These agreements undermine community trust, make people afraid to interact with local authorities, and do not make our communities safer.

Immigrants’ rights organizations support HB9’s stronger protections bringing New Mexico closer to ending its role in immigration detention.

Statewide and regional immigrants’ rights’ organizations made the following statements after the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday night:

“Immigrant workers in the oil patch generate hundreds of millions of dollars for our local economy. These resources should be used to protect our communities — not to target them with violence and civil rights abuses,” said Marcela Díaz, Executive Director of Somos Acción. “Immigrant safety is public safety and our communities are safer when everyone can live with dignity — without fear of being detained, deported, or targeted by federal immigration enforcement.”

“We urge lawmakers to keep moving this bill forward with bold leadership and to stand firm for protection, dignity, and opportunity for all New Mexicans. Partial steps are not enough.” said Fabiola Landeros, Immigration Organizer with EL CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos, “States that have passed similar laws have seen fewer incarcerations and family separations.”

“From a legal perspective, when local law enforcement collaborates with ICE, it undermines due process and erodes public trust in the justice system. As attorneys, we see the consequences. When people fear any interaction with police or courts could lead to detention or deportation, they stop reporting crimes, they avoid court proceedings, and they disengage from civic life. That breakdown in trust weakens the legitimacy of our legal institutions and makes our communities less safe.” stated DeShawnda Chaparro, legal director at Contigo Immigrant Justice.

“We are profoundly grateful to members of the House Judiciary for standing boldly against for-profit immigrant detention and for adding protections for immigrant communities in New Mexico. This is how we take care of each other,” said Sylvia Ulloa, director of NM Comunidades en Accion y de Fe (NM CAFe).

“Immigrant communities like mine are essential to New Mexico’s present and future, yet we are too often met with fear and violence instead of protection,” said Carolina Carrillo, Statewide Organizer at The Semilla Project. “Across the country, people from my community are being taken from their families in ways that feel like abductions, not public safety. For me, this is personal. New Mexico must act now by passing the Immigrant Safety Act and advancing HB 9 to protect our personal data, prevent 287(g) agreements, and stop collaboration that puts my community in danger. Real safety means dignity, accountability, and the ability for our families to live and work without fear.”

"This is another critical step forward for immigrant communities and constitutional protections in New Mexico," said Lena Weber, Policy Director, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico. "By passing HB 9, New Mexico will join at least eight other states and numerous local jurisdictions across the country that have adopted similar protections. We are proud to see New Mexico lawmakers stand firm in prioritizing public safety and constitutional rights over federal intimidation. At a time when the federal government is threatening to tear apart families and devastate local economies, this bill represents our state's unwavering commitment to protecting all New Mexicans."

“I’m honored to be the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, an immigration attorney, and a lifelong New Mexican,” said Jessica Inez Martinez, Director of Policy and Coalition Building, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center. “As an immigration attorney, I hear from clients directly about the fear they face everyday–parents terrified that a traffic stop could separate them from their children, workers afraid that a mistake in paperwork could cost them everything, and families unsure whether tomorrow will still include each other–people who do everything right yet are still being detained in New Mexico’s detention centers. Passing HB 9 with expanded protections is a necessary step New Mexico must take to do everything it can to protect our communities from a deadly system that is growing more dangerous by the day.”

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