Legal rights advocates: Protect New Mexicans' data from getting to ICE, other states
In a time when federal immigration officials can conduct deportation raids in schools and churches, and women are encouraging others not to have menstrual tracking apps on their phones, New Mexico rights advocacy organizations are calling on the Legislature to codify data protection measures.
Marshall Martinez, center, and Nathan Saavedra, both with Equality New Mexico, talk with Linda Siegle, a lobbyist for health care and other groups, in a hallway at the Roundhouse on Friday Feb. 1.
West Side Dems Educate Voters on Protecting Immigrants in NM
Incoming President Trump’s threats to round up immigrants who are undocumented have raised concerns across the country, especially in border states like New Mexico. While no details of his round up have been shared with the public, state and local governments around the country have been setting policies and seeking other avenues to protect our vulnerable families and individuals within their jurisdictions.
The West Side Dems Executive Committee concludes that this is an important issue for both West Side and like-minded voters across the state. That is why we are taking a role in educating our members and friends about the immigration issue.
Mass Deportation Editorial
by Dorothy Wilkinson, Chair, West Side Democrats
Westside Democrats held a meeting that focused on immigration on January 11. There are so many reasons we must all fear Mass Deportation.
The main reason is because of the inhumanity of the proposal. It means that people who have been here for decades may be deported.
- It will cause great fear.
- People who came here with their parents as children could be sent to a country they know nothing about. They are US citizens in everything but name. If the last Trump administration was a prelude to this Trump administration, children will be stripped from their parents
- Due process will be denied and US citizens will be caught up in the roundup. We guarantee immigrants the right to a hearing to see if they are in danger in their country of origin. This would be denied. People who are accused of crime but are not convicted would be assumed guilty and would be deported.
The Bible tells us to welcome strangers and to help those in need. This is not what our country is doing, although some claim that we are a “christian nation”.
You may ask how that affects me. I have many friends who are Hispanic but their families were here before there was a New Mexico. I have friends I cherish who were not born in the United States. They may have to carry papers to prove their citizenship as people of color are rounded up and challenged.
On a personal note—my grandparents came from Europe in the early 20th century. I don’t know if they came legally. I suspect my grandmother did not because she came by way of Canada. If they had been rounded up because they were Catholic and deported back to Belgium, they would have been involved in World Wars I and II, and may not have survived. I would not have been born because my mother and dad could not have met. And if we deny the citizenship of people who were born here regardless of race, ethnicity and religion, my mother could have been declared a non-citizen.
WSD Immigration Meeting Opens Eyes and Minds
by Sue Wolinsky
About 50 mostly West Siders (many of whom who had not previously attended a WSD meeting) were at the WSD meeting on immigration held on January 11, 2025. We held this meeting because immigration is high on the president-elect’s list of priorities. New Mexico, as a border state, is especially vulnerable to any immigration action that he may take.
Our panel included experts in this field. Panel members were:
- Iris Calderon, an immigration attorney, and her husband, Bernalillo County Assessor Damian Lara, also an immigration attorney;
- Josefina Dominguez, a member of the APS Board of Education and an immigrant, herself;
- Cindy Nava, recently elected District 9 State Senator a former DACA recipient;
- Sonya Lara, City of ABQ Office of Equity & Inclusion.
The panelists shared personal experiences and experiences of immigrants in NM, as well as current laws and policies.
Terry Rich of WSD also gave a brief update of immigration action at the federal level.
Some of the non-immigrants in the audience were shocked at some of the information shared. That is good, because the meeting was designed to educate the audience and to identify actions that WSD members and others attending would commit to take to help our immigrant neighbors.
APS School Board Member Dominguez identified several areas where action is needed. The actions were recorded on a white board. They included:
- Taking action to contact State Legislators in the 2025 60-day session about immigration bills;
- Taking action so the State Board of Education will ensure that all students in public and charter schools are safe from immigration roundups;
- Taking action so APD Security and Albuquerque Police Department (APD) cooperate on issues related to immigration status of students;
- Taking action regarding the NM State Police’s treatment of immigrants;
- Taking action regarding MVD record availability to ICE;
- Taking action to support local immigration advocates, such as El Centro, NM Immigrants Law Center, the Refuge Community, and others;
- Taking action to obtain and distribute information about how immigrants can prepare for a raid; the NM ACLU sells the palm cards.
Here are additional actions that attorneys Iris Calderon and Damian Lara offered:
- Stay informed. Follow immigration news and stay updated.
- Speak up and speak out. Advocate for immigrant rights.
- Share on social media. Use your platform to raise awareness.
- Support organizations. Contribute to groups providing direct services to immigrants and refugees. You can contribute money or your time (translation, ESL classes, help them access community resources).
- Advocate for policy change. Lobby for fair immigration laws. Support reforms that crease pathways to citizenship.
- Create task groups. Join with others. Collaborate with like-minded individuals.
- Let your elected representatives know where you stand on issues. Voice your opinions on immigration policies. If your representatives are voting on an immigration related bill, they should be able to explain the bill and its consequences.
- Become a Legal Observer. As a Legal Observer, you can ensure demonstrators’ rights are not violated.
Some members posted action items they are willing to take:
- Joining the ACLU, taking their training, and getting involved in their actions;
- Contacting our legislators and the Speaker of the NM House about advocating for alignment of police agencies’ policies on immigration issues;
- Supporting local immigrant and refugee organizations.
How to Get Involved
How to Contact Our Immigration Meeting Panelists
Click an entry to email the panelist.
How to Contact Our Legislators
UPDATES:
We need YOUR INPUT to update immigration info on these topics. Use the reply form at the bottom of the page.
Our State Legislators:
The NM Secretary of State has a short tutorial to help you get contact information for your state representatives and senators. You can search by your address, the legislator’s name, or the district number. Click here to see the tutorial.
If you already know your legislator’s name, you can find their contact info here.
Our US Senators and Congresspeople:
The easiest way to find contact info for our 3 Congressional Representatives and 2 Senators is to Click Here.
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