New Mexico’s Attorney General has agreed to temporarily halt enforcement of the state’s newly passed Immigrant Safety Act as a federal legal challenge moves forward.
The law, known as House Bill 9, is set to take effect later this month and would prohibit state and local governments from entering into agreements with federal immigration authorities to detain individuals for civil immigration violations.
However, in a filing submitted in federal court, Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the state will not enforce the law for now. The decision comes as the U.S. Department of Justice challenges the measure, arguing it interferes with federal immigration enforcement.
The temporary pause allows the legal dispute to move through the court system without immediate implementation of the law. Under the agreement, the state will hold off on taking enforcement action, including any efforts to terminate existing detention contracts.
Supporters of the law say it is intended to limit the use of state and local resources in federal immigration detention, while opponents argue it could impact cooperation between agencies and local economies tied to detention facilities.
The case is now pending in federal court, where a ruling is expected to determine whether and how the law can be enforced going forward.
