Santa Fe, NM (KKOB)- The state is suing two New Mexico counties for their agreements with ICE. The New Mexico Department of Justice filed lawsuits against Torrance and Curry counties saying those counties agreements with ICE violate the recently passed state Immigrant Safety Act. The state law bans any agreements between local governments with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In this case the county’s agreements, allows ICE to take undocumented immigrants who are already in jail and have committed crimes in their communities. Both Curry and Torrance county sheriff’s have said in the past that they don’t plan on ending their agreements with ICE.
The lawsuits ask courts to prevent the counties from carrying out activities prohibited by the Immigrant Safety Act and to require the counties to immediately end their agreements with ICE.
Both counties report that while they have agreements with ICE currently, they have not been trained yet to put their agreements in operation.
Attorney General Raul Torrez says on top of the agreements violating the new state law, he is also concerned that local authorities would not be well trained in handling immigration matters under their agreements with ICE and also is concerned about possible racial profiling by local law enforcement, as he spoke to our news partner KOAT TV.
