FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Friday, March 9, 2018
Contact: Shaya Torres / Chris Nordstrum
Phone: 505-604-6789 / 415-601-1992
Senate and House Democrats Condemn Immigration Customs Enforcement Audits at New Mexico Schools
Santa Fe, NM – Today, Senate and House Democrats are joining together to condemn Immigration Customs Enforcement audits at schools around New Mexico. Due to recent ICE audits around the state, House and Senate Democrats want to reaffirm their strong stance against any audits or enforcement in or near New Mexico schools.
“We know that conducting these audits is within the purview of Immigration Customs Enforcement officials, and we don’t want to get in the way of them doing their jobs; but when we’re talking about ICE in our child care centers, pre schools, and public schools, it is uncalled for and it is immoral. We cannot be targeting children and their families. Whether undocumented or not, children are at school to learn, and should feel safe doing so. ICE does not belong in our schools,” said Representative Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque).
“These actions by ICE are causing fear and anxiety amongst students and communities at a time when heightened concern over safety is already hampering their ability to receive the education they are entitled to. It is a bullying tactic, plain and simple. We should not let our children be subject to yet another threat to their well-being,” said Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino (D-Albuquerque). “And ICE presence at pre-school programs is completely inappropriate. They terrify and traumatize the students and leave working families who depend on these programs without any way of caring for their children while they are at work. This undermines the entire principle upon which we have built these state-funded programs,” continued Ortiz y Pino.
In February of 2017, ICE officers conducted raids in Las Cruces, NM after President Trump signed two executive orders signaling his plans to fulfill his campaign promise of cracking down on undocumented immigrants. During that time, news of the raids caused so much fear in the community that Las Cruces public schools saw a sixty-percent spike in student absences. Democrats know that our communities are stronger when our young people can access education without fear for themselves or their families.
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