Elected officials and activists are condemning increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in and around Santa Fe this week. There are reports of at least eight ICE arrests in Santa Fe and Espanola between Sunday and Wednesday, including a Wednesday arrest in the La Familia Medical Center clinic parking lot on Alto Street.
Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland posted a video to social media from the La Familia parking lot just hours after the arrest was made. She said the detained man's child was left alone in following the arrest.
"They left an eleven-year-old child by themself in this parking lot, which is absolutely unacceptable," Haaland said in the video. "Luckily, the community launched into action to help the family."
A joint news release from the city and county of Santa Fe called the arrests "traumatic and frightening" and said that neither municipality's police forces were involved with the arrests. Mayor Michael Garcia said in the statement that the city plans to introduce legislation to prohibit ICE from staging or conducting enforcement on city property.
But immigration lawyer and activist Allegra Love told Fiveofive O Matic that she wants to see local leaders do more.
TAPE Love: "I think we would all feel safer if we heard more from our city and county elected leaders about what they're doing to help hold this agency accountable," Love said.
Love called the warrantless arrests unconstitutional.
