NALEO Joins Lawmakers' Opposition to Susana Martinez Racial Profiling Order (With Video)

Sen. Griego: problems with Gov. Martinez's executive order

This past Thurday, we posted about a press conference convened by a number of New Mexico's Democratic legislators at the Roundhouse who strongly oppose a recent executive order issued by Republican Governor Susana Martinez. The order requires state law enforcement officers to inquire about the immigration status of "criminal suspects," and to report undocumented people to federal immigration authorities. More than two dozen lawmakers, including House and Senate members and leaders from around the state, participated in the press conference.

After the event, Sen. Eric Griego (D-Albuquerque) spoke with Mary Ellen about serious problems he and others have with the governor's order (video above). In part, Sen. Griego said:

I think it's unconstitutional, it's un-American, it's certainly not what we believe as New Mexicans here. We don't want to be Arizona ... We are proud of our diversity, we're proud of our civil rights, we're proud of our acceptance of differences and we don't think we ought to be marginalizing certain folks. We sure shouldn't be asking everybody to give up some of their rights because the governor thinks we should be targeting folks she thinks are causing problems.

... I know she's trying to respond to a part of her conservative base, but I think it's a disgrace that we're really targeting certain people and then asking everyone else to give up their rights in the process.

Sen. Griego also discussed how the order will put virtually all New Mexicans at risk of questioning and possible detainment if they happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. In another clip (see below) Sen. Griego outlines pending legislation introduced to counter the executive order.

NALEO Call for Withdrawal of Order
On Friday, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) issued a statement critical of Gov. Martinez's executive order and called for its withdrawal:

The executive order requires state law enforcement to ask the immigration status of everyone simply suspected of having committed a crime, allowing for individuals who could be innocent to be arrested without justification and wrongly reported to federal authorities.  Executive Order 2011-009 is a backdoor attempt at having state law enforcement officials act as federal immigration authorities. 
 
Implementation of this directive in New Mexico will negatively affect Latinos regardless of citizenship or immigration status, as similar policies have unjustly targeted all members of the Latino community.  The uncertainty of being wrongly arrested for the purpose of determining immigration status will increase mistrust of law enforcement and divert much-needed funds away from vital services.  Furthermore, it will hinder the promotion of public safety and cooperation between law enforcement and law-abiding residents.  We ask Governor Martínez to reconsider, and lift Executive Order 2011-009.

Sen. Griego discusses bills to counter racial profiling order

Legislation in Response to Executive Order
Two bills have so far been introduced to counter the order. Sen. Tim Keller (D-Albuquerque) and Rep. Moe Maestas (D-Albuquerque) have introduced SB 151, Essential Services Access Act, which would prohibit emergency responders, including police, from questioning people about their immigration status when they call 911 or end up at the emergency room.

The bill as originally written received a Do Not Pass by the Senate Public Affairs Committee (SPAC), but a Committee Substitute was passed by a 5-1 vote and is now before the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC). The substitute bill removed a section that would have required the secretary of homeland security and emergency management to develop a standardized management system for state and local agencies to provide emergency and disaster relief services.

Sen. Richard Martinez is sponsoring SB 152, Enforcement of Federal Immigration Laws, which would prohibit law enforcement from detaining people based solely on immigration violations. It received  a Do Pass from the SPAC by a 5-0 vote and is also now before the SJC.

Senator Griego will be introducing a bill this week to effectively nullify Gov. Martinez's racial profiling executive order.

Take Action: Please contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge them to vote yes on SB 151 and SB 152. Also, please email or call the Governor's Office and urge Gov. Martinez to withdraw Executive Order 2011-09.