New Mexico proposes bill to stop local police from handing over arrestees to ICE

State lawmakers intend to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to restrict informal cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agents. The proposal follows a presentation to the interim Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee that detailed specific instances of such collaboration across the state.

Attorneys from the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center presented three cases from 2026 to the committee. In one incident, Sandoval County deputies turned a driver over to federal agents in a store parking lot. In another, a person exiting a Carlsbad courthouse found Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents waiting outside. A third case involved unmarked SUVs detaining a motorist traveling from Gallup to Hobbs. Jessica Martínez, the center’s policy director, stated that existing state law did not prohibit these informal hand-offs.

A review of communications requested from 33 counties and 13 cities revealed that 10 of the 13 local governments responding had some level of correspondence with the Department of Homeland Security. Gabriela Ibañez Guzmán of Somos un Pueblo Unido noted that some of these agencies engaged in regular communication with ICE. This informal exchange occurs despite House Bill 9, signed earlier this year, which bans formal collaboration but leaves informal practices largely unregulated.

Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, a Democrat from Albuquerque, said the state needs to fill these gaps to reflect local values. She pointed to the 2026 election results as evidence that voters rejected the current federal approach. Representative Cristina Pajarón, also a Democrat from Albuquerque, indicated she would sponsor the new bill. It would prohibit local employees from disclosing resident information to federal agencies for immigration enforcement purposes, mirroring a 2025 state law that restricts state employees.

The announcement coincided with a surge in enforcement activity in Santa Fe. Gina Auz of the Latino Small Business Association estimated that 16 people were arrested in the city on Friday. She described a pattern of officers visiting construction sites and detaining individuals in public view. This activity follows a series of raids on construction sites in the previous month.

Representative John Block, a Republican from Alamogordo, voiced opposition to the proposed restrictions. He argued that local officers should not face penalties for cooperating with federal agents to detain individuals. Block praised the Otero County Processing Center, an ICE detention facility in his district, for its amenities, including a barber shop and multiple kitchens. He stated he was blessed to have the facility in his county and hoped to continue deporting criminal illegal aliens.

Block’s comments drew a response from Representative Marianna Anaya, a Democrat from Albuquerque, who apologized to the audience on behalf of her colleague. She told the group, which included members of mixed-status families, that the majority of the country stands with them. Gabriela Carillo of The Semilla Project said fear of local cooperation with ICE has kept family members from attending community events and visiting parks.

Support for the new measure was nearly unanimous among committee members. The legislation aims to prevent the use of local public funds to subsidize federal immigration activities. It builds on the Immigrant Safety Act, which Attorney General Raúl Torrez is currently enforcing against Torrance and Curry counties over their formal agreements with ICE.