YOU’RE WATCHING KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. GOVERNOR LUJAN GRISHAM SIGNED A BILL THAT PROHIBITS AGENCIES FROM SIGNING AGREEMENTS WITH ICE. IT WAS DESIGNED TO GET RID OF THE STATE’S THREE ICE DETENTION FACILITIES. TONIGHT, IN A TARGET 7 INVESTIGATION, WE’RE LEARNING IT DID A LOT MORE THAN THAT. HERE’S JASON MCNABB. THE GOVERNOR SIGNED THE IMMIGRANT SAFETY ACT INTO LAW ALMOST TWO WEEKS AGO. ITS INTENTION WAS FOCUSED ON THREE COUNTIES OTERO, CIBOLA AND TORRANCE. BUT ANOTHER COUNTY IS ALSO GOING TO BE AFFECTED. IT TOOK TWO YEARS FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO PASS THIS BILL, VIRTUALLY KILLING THESE THREE ICE DETENTION FACILITIES. THE IMMIGRANT SAFETY ACT IS NOW LAW. GOVERNOR SAID SHE SIGNED IT INTO LAW BECAUSE SHE FELT THAT MIGRANTS WERE BEING TREATED INHUMANELY IN THOSE FACILITIES. OUR DETENTION CENTERS, PARTICULARLY A COUPLE, HAVE LONG BEEN IN THE NEWS FAR LONGER THAN A DECADE. FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS FAIR, CREDIBLE CONSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE BEING DETAINED. BUT THERE’S ONE THING THAT DID NOT COME UP WHEN SHE SIGNED THE BILL. TAKE A LOOK. IT ALSO BANNED ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FROM ENTERING INTO WHAT IS CALLED A 287. THESE ARE AGREEMENTS LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REACHED WITH ICE. IT GIVES THEM THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS. IN A NUTSHELL, GRANTS LIMITED AUTHORITY TO STATE AND LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO COOPERATE WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. CHRIS CLEM IS A FORMER BORDER PATROL AGENT AND EL PASO SECTOR DEPUTY CHIEF. HE SPENT MORE THAN A DECADE WORKING IN NEW MEXICO. THE COOPERATION IS KEY FOR FOR ENFORCEMENT. IF IT’S MUCH EASIER TO GO TO A JAIL AND TAKE CUSTODY OF A NON-CITIZEN WHO’S BEEN CHARGED OR CONVICTED OF A CRIME IN A SALLY PORT OF A LOCAL JAIL, THEN THEM NOT COOPERATING AND RELEASING THEM. AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO FIND THEM THEN. THAT’S WHY YOU SEE SOME OF THESE LARGE SCALE OPERATIONS PLANNED ACROSS THE COUNTRY. LOOK AT THIS MAP. THERE ARE MORE THAN 1400 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT HAVE REACHED THESE AGREEMENTS. ONE OF THEM IS HERE IN NEW MEXICO. THIS IS JUST ONE MORE TOOL THAT I CAN USE TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. MICHAEL BROCKETT IS THE CURRY COUNTY SHERIFF. HE ENTERED INTO THIS AGREEMENT IN MAY BECAUSE HE WAS FRUSTRATED WITH HOW UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WERE COMMITTING CRIMES AND WERE BEING LET OUT OF JAIL. WE BOOK THEM IN, AND OFTENTIMES BEFORE WE CAN EVEN GET THE PAPERWORK DONE, THEY’RE RELEASED BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY TO CREATE MORE VICTIMS AND CREATE MORE HAVOC IN OUR COMMUNITY. SHERIFF BROCKETT SAID HIS AGENCY WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A LIMITED PROGRAM, IN WHICH ONE DEPUTY WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT WHAT IS CALLED AN ICE DETAINER ON AN INMATE, MEANING THEY COULD NOT BE RELEASED FROM JAIL. THE ICE WOULD REACH OUT TO MY AGENT OR DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, WOULD REACH OUT TO MY DEPUTY AND SAY, HEY, THIS PERSON IS IN YOUR IN YOUR JAIL RIGHT NOW. CAN YOU PLEASE FILE THIS DETAINER ON HIM? AND WE’LL COME AND GET HIM WHEN HE’S RELEASED? NEW MEXICO IS NOT ALONE IN BANNING THESE AGREEMENTS. SEVEN OTHER STATES PLACED RESTRICTIONS OR BANS ON THEM. THREE STATES, GEORGIA, FLORIDA AND TEXAS ARE TRYING TO FORCE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ENTER IN THESE AGREEMENTS. SHERIFF BROCKETT SAID HE STILL PLANS TO USE HIS AGREEMENT UNTIL THE ROYALE DA STATE LAW SAYS HE CAN’T. IF IT KEEPS ONE PERSON FROM DRIVING OUT INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND RE-OFFENDING AFTER WE’VE ALREADY ARRESTED THEM ONE TIME, THEN I WANT TO DO THAT. THAT LAW, SLATED TO GO INTO EFFECT IN MAY FOR TARGET 7 I’M JASON MCNABB. IF YOU HAVE A TIP FOR US TO INVESTIGAT
New Mexico’s immigration safety act quietly affects local law enforcement agreements with ICE
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Immigration Safety Act, which aims to stop ICE detention facilities in the state. It also quietly ends local law enforcement’s cooperation with ICE.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Immigration Safety Act nearly two weeks ago at the Roundhouse, aiming to address concerns about the treatment of migrants in ICE detention facilities in Otero, Torrance, and Cibola counties.The bill, which took two years to pass, effectively shuts down these facilities due to concerns about inhumane treatment. “Our detention centers, particularly a couple, have long been in the news, far longer than a decade. For questions about whether or not there was fair, credible constitutional treatment of the individuals who were being detained,” Lujan Grisham said.However, the bill also quietly affects local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It includes a provision that bans any law enforcement agency from entering into 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws in cooperation with ICE. Chris Clem, a former Border Patrol agent and El Paso Sector Deputy Chief, explained, “In a nutshell, it grants limited authority to state and local jurisdictions to cooperate with immigration enforcement.”Curry County Sheriff Michael Brockett, who entered into a 287(g) agreement in May, expressed frustration with undocumented immigrants committing crimes and being released from jail. “We book them in, and oftentimes, before we can even get the paperwork done, they’re released back into our community to create more victims and create more havoc in our community,” Brockett said. He was developing a program where one deputy could place an ICE detainer on inmates, preventing their release until ICE could take custody. “ICE would reach out to my agent or Department of Homeland Security would reach up to my deputy and say hey this person is in your in your jail right now. Can you please file this detainer on him, and we’ll come and get him when he’s released,” Brockett said.New Mexico joins seven other states, including California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Maryland, in banning or restricting these agreements, while states like Georgia, Florida, and Texas are pushing to enforce them. Sheriff Brockett plans to use his agreement until state law prohibits it. “If it keeps one person from driving out into our community and reoffending after we’ve already arrested him one time, then I want it to do that,” Brockett said.The bill is set to go into effect at the beginning of May.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Immigration Safety Act nearly two weeks ago at the Roundhouse, aiming to address concerns about the treatment of migrants in ICE detention facilities in Otero, Torrance, and Cibola counties.
The bill, which took two years to pass, effectively shuts down these facilities due to concerns about inhumane treatment.
“Our detention centers, particularly a couple, have long been in the news, far longer than a decade. For questions about whether or not there was fair, credible constitutional treatment of the individuals who were being detained,” Lujan Grisham said.
However, the bill also quietly affects local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It includes a provision that bans any law enforcement agency from entering into 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws in cooperation with ICE.
Chris Clem, a former Border Patrol agent and El Paso Sector Deputy Chief, explained, “In a nutshell, it grants limited authority to state and local jurisdictions to cooperate with immigration enforcement.”
Curry County Sheriff Michael Brockett, who entered into a 287(g) agreement in May, expressed frustration with undocumented immigrants committing crimes and being released from jail. “We book them in, and oftentimes, before we can even get the paperwork done, they’re released back into our community to create more victims and create more havoc in our community,” Brockett said. He was developing a program where one deputy could place an ICE detainer on inmates, preventing their release until ICE could take custody. “ICE would reach out to my agent or Department of Homeland Security would reach up to my deputy and say hey this person is in your in your jail right now. Can you please file this detainer on him, and we’ll come and get him when he’s released,” Brockett said.
New Mexico joins seven other states, including California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Maryland, in banning or restricting these agreements, while states like Georgia, Florida, and Texas are pushing to enforce them. Sheriff Brockett plans to use his agreement until state law prohibits it. “If it keeps one person from driving out into our community and reoffending after we’ve already arrested him one time, then I want it to do that,” Brockett said.
The bill is set to go into effect at the beginning of May.
