Majority of New Mexico on Trump's immigration 'sanctuary' list

The majority of New Mexico’s counties and two of its cities were flagged as violating federal immigration law by the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, a move that shocked officials from rural counties but came as no surprise to leadership in metro areas.

The sanctuary jurisdiction list identifies more than 500 cities and counties across the nation that the federal government believes to be “deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities,” according to the DHS website.

“DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens,” the statement reads.

If jurisdictions don’t comply, according to President Donald Trump’s April 28 executive order, the administration will terminate or suspend federal funding to the municipality. And if that doesn’t work?

“The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall pursue all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures to end these violations,” the order reads.

In New Mexico, 23 out of 33 counties were flagged, meaning DHS claims 70% of the state is out of compliance and vulnerable to losing federal funding. Albuquerque and Santa Fe were also listed as sanctuary cities.

“We’re reviewing this confusing federal list, and I’m sure many New Mexico counties may feel they’ve been mischaracterized,” said Governor’s Office spokesperson Michael Coleman in a statement. “We need clearer explanations from federal authorities to fully understand the implications of these classifications.”

When asked what put rural counties in New Mexico on the DHS’ radar, a senior spokesperson told the Journal in a statement that it was “based on the evaluation of numerous factors, including self-identification as a sanctuary jurisdiction, noncompliance with Federal law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws, restrictions on information sharing, and legal protections for illegal aliens.”

When read this list of reasons, Eddy County Detention Center Warden Billy Massingill said they were “absolutely erroneous.”

“It’s not that I want to be on a list or off a list, by any means, but the cooperation with that (federal) agency has been there for 10 years,” Massingill said, referring to DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

When law enforcement or staff at the detention center receive an immigration hold for an arrestee or inmate, they have always cooperated with the federal government, Massingill said.

Massingill also pointed out that the Eddy County Commission has passed several resolutions supporting President Trump’s immigration policies. One such resolution was passed in 2019 and adamantly supported Trump’s National Emergency at the Southern Border. The resolution called on other elected officials to “meaningfully and effectively aid” the federal government in immigration enforcement.

Neighboring Lea County was not included on the sanctuary list and when asked why Eddy County had been flagged while Lea had not, the DHS did not clarify.

In nearby Doña Ana County, officials were also unsure why their county was on the list.

“We are seeing Doña Ana County listed on the US Department of Homeland Security website, along with 22 other counties in New Mexico, but have not received any notification from DHS as to why we are listed,” said Assistant County Manager Stephen Lopez in a statement to the Journal.

Leaders in Albuquerque, on the other hand, were not surprised the city ended up on the DHS list. The mayor’s office has repeatedly reaffirmed Albuquerque as an “immigrant-friendly city” over the years, and denounced Trump’s immigration policies in January.

“We expected this designation — Albuquerque’s immigrant-friendly policies reflect who we are,” Mayor Tim Keller said in a statement. “In many ways this is a badge of courage, that we won’t be bullied into turning our backs on these values or letting politics dictate how we protect our community.”