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Bill would keep New Mexico Police officers from enforcing fed laws
State law enforcement officers would be prohibited from enforcing federal immigration laws under a bill being sponsored by Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Espaola. Officers would still be able to arrest undocumented immigrants for other crimes, but would be prohibited from taking people into custody when their only violation is of the federal immigration laws, Martinez said. We've got a lot of illegal immigrants, especially in my area, who are Mexican nationals, Martinez said. Their children are born in the state. They have kids that are going to our schools. And I can just imagine how devastating it would be for parents who aren't citizens of the U.S. to say, We're going to the grocery store.Their kids are at home. And for them to arrest them merely based on their immigration status. If they've been charged with a crime they can be arrested, charged and deported. All this bill does is not allow them to use their resources (to enforce immigration laws). Immigration advocates said strict enforcement of federal immigration laws could actually increase crime in New Mexico, because victims who are in the country illegally would be reluctant to report crimes to police. We don't feel any victim should be afraid to report a crime because they fear being deported. It erodes the confidence of the community in local law enforcement, said Joan Gauche, legislative coordinator for the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers. Santa Fe Sheriff Greg Solano said that county has declared itself to be immigrant friendly.We don't have the resources or the time or the training to enforce immigration laws, Solano said. This would allow us to focus on crime and local problems, which we have plenty of. [more]