Deb Haaland Statement On Protecting New Mexicans from Potential ICE Violence, Ensuring New Mexico Law Enforcement Can Focus on Violent Crime 

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Deb Haaland released the following statement to protect New Mexicans following ICE shooting an unarmed civilian in Minnesota:

“The violence over the last few days due to ICE only adds to the fear that communities have experienced since President Trump entered the White House. A woman is dead, a six-year-old and his siblings are without a mom on top of the thousands of children who have lost their parents during these dark days in our country. This overreach isn’t isolated – it happened in Portland just yesterday and in black and brown communities across the country. It’s scary and it’s heartbreaking.

“While state and local law enforcement put their lives on the line every day to protect us, it is clear that under-trained ICE agents make their work harder, take them away from addressing violent crime in our communities, and put them and New Mexicans in harm’s way.

“I can promise you that as governor I will always stand up for New Mexicans. We will hold these ICE officials accountable for breaking the law. We will protect our public spaces – like schools, churches, courthouses, healthcare centers, and state government facilities – and all non-violent, law abiding New Mexicans. I appreciate the steps the current New Mexico governor has taken to protect New Mexicans’ data and provide legal services, and I look forward to building on that work.”