Immigrant communities across the United States are facing increasing violence and heightened enforcement, according to advocates in New Mexico. Reports indicate that some families have been separated by authorities, with entire communities living in fear.
Several organizations in New Mexico, including the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, Contigo Immigrant Justice, and ACLU-NM, are leading efforts to support immigrants through legal assistance, advocacy, and public education.
Concerns have been raised about new federal policies and practices affecting immigrants. These include the opening of a new detention facility at Fort Bliss and recent guidance instructing detention centers to stop collecting data on gender-expansive or non-heterosexual detainees. Advocates say these changes increase risks for vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ and transgender immigrants.
Jessica Martinez of the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center said: “We know that the people detained across New Mexico’s three detention centers can’t wait one more day for relief. Every day someone is detained is another day they are away from their family, their job, and their basic human dignity. New Mexico has the power to take action and end the suffering of those detained and protect others from enduring these unsafe conditions by passing the Immigrant Safety Act. The Immigrant Safety Act would prohibit New Mexico state and local governments from entering into agreements to detain people in federal civil immigration custody. This bill would close a loophole that allows ICE and for-profit detention contractors to use New Mexico counties as passthroughs to avoid normal scrutiny of the disastrous safety records of those contractors in running New Mexico’s immigration detention centers.”
Advocates note that queer immigrants often face compounded risks due to discrimination both in their countries of origin and after arriving in the U.S., particularly when placed in detention facilities where reports of abuse have surfaced.
New Mexico has a history of coalition-building among immigrant rights groups, LGBTQ organizations, workers’ associations, and faith communities. These alliances have worked together on issues such as access to education, healthcare, and protection from deportation.
“In light of what we are witnessing across the country, we must ensure the safety of our community. We must stand in our power as a community and continue to uplift voices of immigrants who are enduring dangerous conditions, due process violations, racial profiling, and systems of harm. We as a state have the power to end the suffering of detainees and ensure the safety of our community and that is by taking a stance to refuse to be complicit in human rights abuses. Our movement continues to grow and we will keep advocating for the Immigrant Safety Act and working with our champions in the legislature until this bill is passed.” - Jessica Martinez, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center
Resources available for immigrants include legal assistance from groups like New Mexico Immigrant Law Center; organizing efforts by Somos Un Pueblo Unido; specialized services for LGBTQ+ immigrants provided by Contigo Immigrant Justice; and direct support from Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico.
The statement calls on residents to support immigrant-led organizations within New Mexico by participating in events such as rallies or vigils, learning about specific challenges faced by queer immigrants, checking on neighbors who may be affected by current policies or enforcement actions, and building cross-community relationships.
The message concludes with an appeal for solidarity: “By choosing solidarity, by insisting on intersectionality, and by lifting up the voices of queer immigrants, we can demonstrate the power of a community that refuses to be divided.”
