Santa Fe, NM — Recently, Democrat Leadership in the New Mexico House of Representatives and Senate have signaled their intentions to introduce –and pass– legislation that would prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from contracting with local governments. Specifically, this legislation would terminate contracts for ICE detention facilities operating in New Mexico. Currently, our state has three federal detention facilities that contract with ICE and employ hundreds of New Mexicans.
In anticipation of this consequential legislation, Senate Republican Leader Bill Sharer (R-Farmington) has issued the following statement:
"Instead of addressing the true causes of New Mexico's crime crisis, Democrat lawmakers have instead focused their attention on political posturing. The only outcome of 'banning' ICE Detention Facilities in New Mexico would be the destruction of New Mexico jobs and economic support for local communities. Furthermore, by disrupting the enforcement of federal law with this virtue-signaling, Democrat lawmakers would enable violent criminals, who are in the United States illegally, the ability to continue terrorizing our neighborhoods. These reckless proposals only shield people like Mahmoud Telfah, an illegal alien from Jordan who was recently convicted in Albuquerque for soliciting a 15-year-old for sex.
We are a land of democratically-instituted laws. If people disagree with them, there is a process to change them; in the meantime, Republicans oppose any measure that undermines the enforcement of existing law and endangers our communities."
