The State House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee passed H.B. 9, the Immigrant Safety Act, yesterday afternoon. Members of the public spilled into the hallway before the meeting started and as it ended, one person was detained by New Mexico State Police.
If it becomes law, The Immigrant Safety Act will prohibit state or local governments from contracting with ICE or any other agencies detaining people for immigration violations. Debate on the bill became heated when Rep. John Block repeatedly (R-51) asked the bill’s sponsors, Reps. Eleanor Chávez (D-26) and Marianna Anaya (D-18), and and an expert witness from the ACLU if the bill would interfere with other contracts that counties might have with federal agencies. Committee Chair Joanne Ferrary interrupted Block and said he was harassing the representatives and the witness.
Committee member and bill sponsor Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-35) spoke through tears as she voiced support for the bill. Rubio pushed back on claims from Block and Rep. Stefani Lord (R-22) that this was "an election year bill," saying she’s advocated for legislation like this for ten years. Committee member and bill sponsor Rep. Andrea Romero (D-46) visited an ICE detention center last summer with a group of Republican legislators. Romero told KSFR she was not allowed to speak to detainees who were confined to their beds.
“This administration has taken every liberty to violate our constitutional laws and mandates to a safe and appropriate method of working with the immigrant population— who we now know are mostly here legally or in some sort of potentially questionable status, but certainly not violating our criminal laws," Romero said. "And that's what's so alarming about who is occupying these spaces.”
As the meeting concluded, Lord asked security to remove Adeo Herrick, a member of the public, from the meeting room. Lord claimed that Herrick had touched and harassed her. New Mexico State Police later detained Herrick outside of the Capitol. At the time of this report, it is unclear if Herrick was arrested or charged with a crime. Herrick was one of two people that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained during a protest at a federal immigration detention center in Albuquerque earlier this month.
Romero expects the Immigrant Safety Act to go to the House Judiciary Committee next week.
