Sen. Martin Heinrich talks impact of Immigrant Safety Act

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich supports New Mexico's new Immigrant Safety Act, which prevents local governments from contracting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for civil immigration violations.

The law, signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday, aims to keep local law enforcement focused on community safety rather than immigration enforcement.

"This is a place where we have to take a stand and say, 'This is not how we do law enforcement in the United States of America,'" said Heinrich.

Heinrich emphasized that New Mexico is sending a clear message with the act's passage.

"We're not going to be complicit in this federal program that is showing us so much overreach, so much abuse of people who are here lawfully," he said.

Local focus

The law also prohibits using public property to assist with federal detention, reflecting a focus on real criminal activities like human trafficking and cartel involvement.

"When immigration enforcement is focused on people who are doing human trafficking, who are part of cartels, everybody supports that," said Heinrich.

Heinrich addressed concerns about potential repercussions from the federal level, stating, "I think it is more important than ever for people across this country to raise their voices."

He added, "I'm not in control of that, you know, I do not predict the things that will come out of this White House, because it is unpredictable."

There are ICE detention centers in Torrance, Cibola and Otero counties.

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