Las Cruces comes to the defense of immigrants

It was encouraging to see so many people gather at Las Cruces City Hall on Monday to defend our community’s immigrants from the federal government.

The vast majority of Las Crucens who spoke at the City Council meeting expressed support for a proposed resolution to strengthen protections for immigrants. Dozens argued that such people, regardless of their legal status, are integral members of our community. They made a collective plea to city leaders to come to their aid.

Speaking through tears, Sylvia Ulloa, the director of the community organizing group NM Café, urged the Council “to protect our people and to stand against the tyranny that we are in by passing this resolution.”

Speaking as a descendent of people who were brought to the United States through “a special form of immigration called slavery,” Bobbie Green, president of the NAACP of Doña Ana County, said while history repeats itself, “we don’t stop fighting.”

“I urge you to think about the history, and where we’ve come from and where we want to go as a city, and make this a welcoming place for everyone,” Green said.

Jessica Inez Martinez, an attorney who works for the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, said her organization has documented violations of due process and immigration authorities targeting people who are in the United States legally. She spoke of families that are having difficult conversations about what they’ll do if they are separated or deported.

“Now more than ever, we need your help,” Martinez said.

The majority of councilors were aligned with those constituents and approved the resolution on a vote of 5-2. Mayor Eric Enriquez and Councilor Bill Mattiace voted against it.

Responding to those who said the resolution might draw financial retribution, or worse, from the Trump Administration, Mayor Pro Tem Johana Bencomo said the federal government is already taking money from citizens by cutting Medicaid, SNAP and other benefits, and it’s already targeting cities controlled by Democrats like Chicago and Los Angeles without provocation.

“They are already terrorizing all of our communities,” Bencomo said. “…I will not act powerless in this moment.”

Bencomo and Councilor Becky Corran brought forth the amendments to a previous “welcoming community” resolution to strengthen protections for immigrants.

By approving the resolution, policymakers mandated some of the strongest protections cities can legally implement for immigrants. Las Cruces joins Albuquerque in leading the nation, further cementing New Mexico as a place of resistance to mass deportation.

Clear values

Las Cruces’ new resolution affirms that police will not assist or cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. It bans the use of city resources to assist federal immigration agents or enforcement against anyone for exercising their First Amendment rights unless required by law.

It protects “sensitive personal information” such as government identification numbers, home addresses and immigration status and requires the city to conduct quarterly audits to document requests for information related to immigration enforcement and to identify any “vulnerabilities” in the city’s sharing and storage of such information.

It requires the city, when it receives a subpoena from an outside jurisdiction, to analyze its legality, notify those whose information is targeted unless that’s prohibited by law, and redact any information that’s not required when records are turned over.

It affirms that immigration and other law enforcement agents need a warrant signed by a judge to enter non-public areas of city buildings. It allows virtual access to services and court proceedings. It requires the development of a website that contains resources for immigrants.

“I think the values of Las Cruces are really clear,” Corran said at Monday’s meeting. “…This is a place where we can do something. We can fight back against cruelty.”

Feeling unwelcome

A handful of the dozens of people who spoke about the resolution at Monday’s meeting were in opposition. Some distinguished between immigrants with legal status and those without, and compared the latter to criminals.

A few expressed a belief that the majority on the City Council does not have the backs of law-abiding citizens. Among them was Jeremy Armstrong, who said he agrees the city needs to become more welcoming because it currently only embraces to those “who do not wish to obey the law.”

Armstrong said Las Cruces has immense potential, but to realize it, “law-abiding citizens should know that Las Cruces and its City Council stand for them and with them.”

I continue to believe the city and state must do more to address crime, which was central to Armstrong’s complaint. I hear this over and over from residents.

But working to take care of the homeless and protect immigrants, which the City Council has done, is not in conflict with that goal. The city has the resources for it all.

There was some straight-up racism expressed during public input on Monday. But some opponents of this resolution, like Armstrong, were instead simply pleading to be seen and helped by those who represent them in their government.

Blaming immigrants for our nation’s problems runs counter to the facts — but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the problems. If we’re going to stop this nation’s descent into authoritarianism, we have to keep talking with folks like Armstrong.

Community support

Most urgently, however, we must stand with those who are facing the greatest and most immediate threat, the immigrants in our families, neighborhoods and city. I’m grateful Las Cruces has their back.

Monday’s vote was critical. The outpouring of community support for immigrants was also heartening.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever been as moved as I have been today,” Councilor Becki Graham said after listening the public input.

Thanks to Bencomo and Corran for leading on this issue.