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HB9 ends state contracts with ICE; lawmakers say private detention remains a challenge
Summary
At a Corrales forum lawmakers described House Bill 9’s restriction on state ICE contracts and on law‑enforcement contracts facilitating federal immigration detention, and they outlined transition funding for facilities affected while warning privately financed centers may continue.
Residents pressed officials about how state policy could restrict immigration detention after the Legislature passed House Bill 9. At the meeting Rep. Kathleen Cates and Sen. Cindy Nava said HB9 makes it unlawful for the state to enter contracts with ICE and, separately, forbids some local law‑enforcement contracting arrangements that previously enabled ICE detention.
"It did not close detention centers," Rep. Cates said, explaining that HB9 prohibits state and certain law‑enforcement contracts with ICE but cannot directly stop privately funded facilities. She added lawmakers negotiated budgeted transition funds to compensate three facilities affected by the change, intended to soften localized economic impacts during contract transitions. "Those 3 detention centers...got a hefty amount of money each, to help compensate for the transition from those contracts," she said.
Sen. Nava acknowledged the law leaves a limit: the state cannot unilaterally shut privately financed detention sites. But she also framed HB9 as a values‑based refusal to be complicit in certain federal detention practices. "When we talk about being complicit for immigration detention in our own state, I think this makes a very loud statement," Nava said. She noted some legislators voted against the bill because of concerns that moving detainees out of state could separate families and that affected communities depend on detention‑related jobs; sponsors sought to address those impacts through targeted funding.
Why it matters: The bill changes how the state and certain local agencies may contract with federal immigration enforcement. Localities that previously hosted ICE contracts will face a transition period; the law does not automatically prevent a private actor from operating a detention center without state contracts.
What’s next: Both lawmakers said they and the governor’s office participated in transition planning and that affected localities will receive funds to support workforce transitions and economic adjustments. They encouraged residents to contact legislative offices and local officials about implementation details.
Sources: Explanatory remarks and Q&A at the Corrales town hall by Rep. Kathleen Cates and Sen. Cindy Nava.
