ALBUQUERQUE, FEBRUARY 12—On Tuesday, the Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution instructing blatant defiance against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in an effort to protect against federal illegal immigration enforcement. This decision not only shields illegal immigrants from federal enforcement but also emboldens criminal elements at the expense of the county’s safety.
The resolution instructs the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility and Sheriff’s Office to not cooperate with ICE by not honoring administrative warrants, not keeping illegal immigrants detained for civil immigration violations, and not participating in ICE’s 287(g) program that works with local police or sheriffs to help enforce immigration laws. Additionally, it insists on providing county services to illegal immigrants, among other protections.
“New Mexico’s Attorney General, Raul Torrez, was quick to challenge counties that dared to protect the sanctity of unborn life through pro-life ordinances, branding them as violators of state law,” said Republican Party of New Mexico Chair Amy Barela. “Now, as Santa Fe County openly defies federal immigration law, we must ask: Will Torrez show the same dedication to upholding federal law, or will he admit his bias? Are some sanctuaries more equal than others in his eyes?”
The GOP whines, but Santa Fe’s commissioners’ actions are exactly what voters expected when they put them in office. Most New Mexicans want humane treatment of immigrants and remember it was Trump who sank bipartisan immigration reform. They also support women’s right to choose.
New Mexicans also don’t trust administrative warrants because they have lower standards than warrants approved by judges–especially when those warrants come from TrumpMusk’s administrators.