Sponsors pitch bill to bar local resources from aiding federal immigration enforcement

Senate Bill 250, a measure to bar state and local resources from assisting federal civil immigration enforcement, was introduced and widely supported in committee testimony as a public-safety and civil-rights measure, though the panel did not take a vote Wednesday.

Sponsor testimony emphasized three core changes: (1) prohibit use of public funds, personnel, property or equipment to aid federal immigration-enforcement activities; (2) prevent local agencies from using resources to identify or detain people based solely on civil immigration status; and (3) limit local detention for federal immigration purposes to cases supported by criminal warrants or federal court orders.

Co-sponsors and witnesses said the statute is intended to preserve local law-enforcement priorities, prevent erosion of trust in immigrant communities, and ensure victims and witnesses are not deterred from reporting crimes. Senator Maestas called it a "public safety" bill and said local officials should not spend limited time and resources on civil immigration enforcement.

Advocacy groups and legal-service providers offered testimony about real-world incidents and harms they say would be addressed by the bill. Marcela Diaz of Somos Un Pueblo Nido and Jessica Ines Martinez of the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center described instances where community members were questioned about status during routine interactions and urged legislative protection: "Local tax dollars should serve local needs," a sponsor said.

Legal witnesses referenced Tenth Amendment principles and cited recent federal-court precedent, asserting states cannot be compelled to carry out federal immigration priorities or be lawfully required to divert local funds for federal enforcement. The ACLU of New Mexico and other civil-rights organizations urged passage and framed the bill as consistent with established constitutional principles.

Several domestic-violence providers and public-safety coalitions said the bill would improve survivors' willingness to contact police and access services. Enlace Community, the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence and local shelter systems described cases in which immigrant survivors feared interacting with authorities.

No committee vote was recorded on SB 250 during the hearing; sponsors said they planned further discussion and anticipated returning to the committee for a full markup. Testimony signaled broad support among immigrant-rights advocates and civil-liberties groups; committee members and staff will consider language, preemption questions and operational details in follow-up work.