Albuquerque, NM – At a press conference at El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos, local immigrant-based and serving organizations, elected officials including Mayor Tim Keller, Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives Javier Martinez, the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC), public safety advocates, and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF) denounced Trump’s terrifying vision of mass deportation, the uptick of ICE enforcement in New Mexico, and the targeting, persecution, detention, and deportation of Albuquerque families. They also condemned the attempt to strong-arm jurisdictions to aid with the enforcement of federal immigration laws and the intentional erosion of core constitutional rights such as due process and states’ rights.
Speakers pointed to Albuquerque and Bernalillo County’s commitment not to fuel Trump’s deportation machine and to local policies, dating back to 2000, which ensure that local resources aren’t used to aid with the enforcement of federal immigration law, including ensuring that local law enforcement isn’t aiding ICE with detentions.
Advocates also pointed out that mass deportation is not only inhumane but bad economic policy for the federal government to target the very workers, small business owners, and taxpayers who are the backbone of New Mexico’s economy. Immigrants represent 11% of the workforce, although only 9% of the population, and play a vital role in key sectors such as construction, agriculture, accommodation and food services, child and elder care, and oil and gas. Immigrants in New Mexico account for 15.4% of entrepreneurs and contribute approximately $1.4 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, with $554.6 million of that amount supporting New Mexico’s public schools, hospitals, roads, and more.
Statements:
Fabiola Landeros, immigration organizer at El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos
“We are proud of the contributions of immigrant families in Albuquerque. We are essential to the economic, cultural, and civic fiber of our state. We know that our familias and communities are terrified about family separation, and we want them to know they are not alone—El CENTRO and our strong movement will lean into New Mexico values and fight back against the targeting, persecution, and deportation of Nuevo Mexicano workers and families. We will continue to organize to defend and expand immigration protections to keep our families together. Every family, regardless of our immigration status, deserves to feel safe in the place that we call home. We cannot let Trump tear down what we have worked so hard to build up: a state in which all Nuevo Mexicanos have the opportunity to thrive.
New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martínez
“Now is not the time to turn our back on our communities. We must stand up for our neighbors, who pray with us, sit next to us at little league games, and work in every corner of our state. What Trump is doing is not reforming our immigration system, it’s violating due process and vilifying our people because of the color of their skin and the language they speak. We will do everything in our power to continue to protect our communities and speak out against this injustice.”
Mayor Tim Keller, City of Albuquerque
“Our communities are safer when everyone feels safe reporting crime, asking for help, and seeking services, no city staff, including police, are allowed to ask about immigration status or document it. That’s our policy, and it’s rooted in the belief that immigrants make our city stronger every day.”
Dr. Sonya Lisa Romero-Autrey, Albuquerque Teachers Federation Elementary Vice-President
“As teachers, we witness how immigration shapes our students and the heavy burdens they carry. In our schools and communities, it is our responsibility to help shoulder that weight by ensuring they feel safe, supported, and protected.”
Teresa Garcia, Chair of the City of Albuquerque’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
“Our communities are safer when trust between local agencies and immigrant families remains strong. No one should have to choose between their safety and the risk of family separation. This reality not only harms survivors but also undermines public safety and weakens trust in the very systems designed to protect all residents of New Mexico. Immigrant workers, business owners, and taxpayers are vital to our communities and economy. Their contributions should be honored, not weaponized against them.”–-
Allen Sanchez, Executive Director of New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops
“Catholic Social Teaching calls all of us to decency, ethical behavior, and kindness. Those who are supporting mass deportations and those executing mass deportations are on the wrong side of history. Immigrants want a path to documentation and creating a way to documentation is justice. The behavior and actions of ICE agents at schools, medical facilities, and churches are not acceptable. These tactics are counter to the Gospel.”
Leon Howard, Executive Director of the ACLU of New Mexico
“The Trump administration’s systemic acts of terror violate the most fundamental principles of American justice. In New Mexico, when you attack one of our communities, you're attacking all of us. We refuse to be coerced into abandoning what makes our communities strong. The ACLU of New Mexico will continue monitoring these enforcement actions, challenging unconstitutional practices in court, and standing with our communities."
