The New Mexico House of Representatives has passed House Bill 9, known as the Immigrant Safety Act. This legislation aims to end the state's involvement in the federal immigration detention system and will now proceed to the Senate for consideration. The bill is sponsored by Representatives Eleanor Chávez, Angelica Rubio, Andrea Romero, Marianna Anaya, and Christine Chandler.

The Immigrant Safety Act seeks to prevent state and local governments from entering agreements to detain individuals for civil immigration violations. It also aims to block ICE from using local governments to bypass public scrutiny and prohibits the use of public land and resources for immigration detention.

New Mexico's three immigration detention centers have faced allegations of human rights violations, including excessive solitary confinement, inadequate medical care, and three deaths in custody since 2022. By passing this legislation, New Mexico joins seven other states with similar protections.

Jessica Martinez from NMILC commented on the significance of the bill: "Behind each detention bed is a human being—parents separated from children, workers torn from their communities, and asylum seekers who fled violence only to face new trauma in detention." She urged the Senate to act swiftly.

Ariel Prado of Innovation Law Lab stated that the House took a stand for justice and compassion by passing the bill. Max Brooks from ACLU of New Mexico highlighted that "three deaths in our state's ICE facilities since 2022 underscore the devastating human cost of this system."

Andres Esquivel from New Mexico Dream Team emphasized that New Mexicans value inclusion and respect. He called on the Senate to pass this crucial legislation without delay.

Marshall Martinez of Equality New Mexico remarked on its importance for LGBTQ immigrants: “This is a victory for our communities, especially LGBTQ immigrants.”