Immigrant Safety Act: Bill to ban immigrant detention in New Mexico advances to House floor
“If the bill becomes law — it’ll make it a crime for these counties, any county, any local government to contract with ICE to house ICE detainees,” KOAT legal expert John Day said
HEADS TO THE HOUSE FLOOR. BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE WEIGHING IN. THE IMMIGRANT SAFETY ACT NOW HEADS TO THE HOUSE FLOOR. HOUSE BILL NINE, PROHIBITING NEW MEXICO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM CONTRACTING WITH ICE TO DETAIN INDIVIDUALS FOR CIVIL IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS. REPRESENTATIVE ANDREA ROMERO, SPONSORING THE BILL. THIS PROTECTS IMMIGRANTS FROM INHUMANE CONDITIONS THAT WE KNOW HAVE BEEN REPORTED. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ACROSS THE BOARD AND EVEN CONTRACT VIOLATIONS THAT NOW THE FEDERAL DOJ HAS SAID THAT CERTAIN COUNTIES ARE IN ENGAGING IN IN THIS PRACTICE WITH ICE. SO WHAT WE ARE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN OUR BACKYARD NOW. NEW MEXICO STATE SENATOR BILL SHARON, DENOUNCING THE LEGISLATION JUST HOURS AFTER IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS MARCH AT THE ROUNDHOUSE ON MONDAY. ONE NOW ONE THE ICE FACILITIES ARE WHERE WHEN ICE PICKS UP SOMEBODY, THEY’VE GOT SOMEPLACE TO TAKE THEM. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE NEW MEXICO. THEY’RE OPERATING IN NEW MEXICO TODAY. THEY’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE. THEY’RE JUST NOW GOING TO PUT PEOPLE IN A IN A VAN AND HAUL THEM TO TEXAS INSTEAD OF HAUL THEM DOWN THE ROAD WHERE THEY CAN BE PROCESSED. A CONCERN TARGET 7 RAISED LAST YEAR. TWO DETENTION CENTERS ACROSS THE STATE OPERATING UNDER CONTRACTS BETWEEN PRIVATE COMPANIES AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AT THE TIME, OVER 800 IMMIGRANTS WERE HELD AT THE OTERO COUNTY PROCESSING CENTER, THE CIBOLA COUNTY CORRECTIONAL CENTER HAD ABOUT 163 IMMIGRANTS AWAITING DEPORTATION. THERE’S SOME PUSHBACK BY RURAL COUNTIES, BUT THERE’S ALSO A LOT OF SUPPORT WITHIN THE LEGISLATURE. OBVIOUSLY, KOAT LEGAL EXPERT JOHN DE WANGEN ON THE LEGISLATION. IF IT BECOMES LAW, IF THE BILL BECOMES LAW, PASSES THROUGH THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR SIGNS IT, IT WOULD MAKE IT A CRIME FOR THESE COUNTIES, A
Immigrant Safety Act: Bill to ban immigrant detention in New Mexico advances to House floor
“If the bill becomes law — it’ll make it a crime for these counties, any county, any local government to contract with ICE to house ICE detainees,” KOAT legal expert John Day said
The Immigrant Safety Act, also known as House Bill 9, passed the House Judiciary Committee by a 7 to 4 vote during the 30-day 57th Legislative Second Session at the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. MORE: View HB 9, here The Immigrant Safety Act is sponsored by Reps. Eleanor Chávez, Andrea Romero, Marianna Anaya and New Mexico State Senators Angelica Rubio and Joseph Cervantes. HB 9 is headed to the House floor. Related: Torrance County Commission extends contract with ICE officialsWhat’s the Immigrant Safety Act?If HB 9 passes, “it’ll prohibit public bodies from entering into agreements used to detain individuals for federal civil immigration violations. The bill will also require the termination of any such existing agreements, prohibiting public bodies from otherwise using public property to facilitate detaining individuals from federal civil immigration violations.” Stay updated on the latest from the Roundhouse in Santa Fe with updates on the KOAT app. Download here.
The Immigrant Safety Act, also known as House Bill 9, passed the House Judiciary Committee by a 7 to 4 vote during the 30-day 57th Legislative Second Session at the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.
MORE: View HB 9, here
The Immigrant Safety Act is sponsored by Reps. Eleanor Chávez, Andrea Romero, Marianna Anaya and New Mexico State Senators Angelica Rubio and Joseph Cervantes. HB 9 is headed to the House floor.
Related: Torrance County Commission extends contract with ICE officials
What’s the Immigrant Safety Act?
If HB 9 passes, “it’ll prohibit public bodies from entering into agreements used to detain individuals for federal civil immigration violations.
The bill will also require the termination of any such existing agreements, prohibiting public bodies from otherwise using public property to facilitate detaining individuals from federal civil immigration violations.”
Stay updated on the latest from the Roundhouse in Santa Fe with updates on the KOAT app. Download .
