Albuquerque mayoral candidate Darren White is calling for a federal investigation into Mayor Tim Keller’s new policy that lets residents call police to verify whether federal immigration agents are operating nearby.
Keller announced the change July 12, saying it would help build trust and transparency with immigrant communities.
The next day, White — a former Bernalillo County sheriff, New Mexico Secretary of Public Safety and Albuquerque Chief Public Safety Officer under Mayor Richard Berry, and one of Keller’s most vocal critics — sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison urging a review of the policy.
“We have enough of our own criminals,” White said. “We don’t need to let illegal immigrants who are in our country committing crimes stay here to commit more. I don’t think that’s a common-sense position to take. I think it’s a radical approach by the mayor to say, ‘Well, we don’t care that illegal immigrants who are committing crimes are here,’ and to provide them a shield from apprehension. That, to me, is radical.”
White said the move could put federal agents at risk, interfere with enforcement efforts and shield undocumented people accused of crimes.
The clash is making immigration and public safety big campaign issues and highlights the bigger fight between local and federal roles in immigration.
“Our APD does not enforce immigration laws,” Keller said in a social media post. “But when something doesn’t feel right in your neighborhood, you deserve to know what’s going on.
“That’s why we’ve created a new way to verify if federal immigration agents are operating in our city. You can now call APD. It’s one more way we’re standing with our immigrant communities, building trust and making sure people feel safe.”
In an interview with City Desk ABQ, White said the word “verify” in Keller’s post jumped out at him as particularly troubling.
“As a former law enforcement officer, I’m very alarmed by the implications of that,” he said.
How we got here
Albuquerque has taken a hands-off approach to immigration enforcement, officially labeling itself “immigrant-friendly” and limiting local police cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Albuquerque Police Department does not enforce immigration laws or detain people for ICE without a warrant.
In 2018, the City Council passed a resolution declaring Albuquerque a safe place for immigrants, refugees, people of color, Muslims, Jews, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.
The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs manages the Immigrant Friendly City Resolution, which took effect April 24, 2018. It requires city departments to review policies for compliance and report back to the council within six months.
Key provisions include:
- City entities cannot collect citizenship or immigration status unless required by law for federal or state program eligibility or city employment.
- City employees must keep personal information confidential unless needed to provide services, comply with public records requests, or required by law. Personal information includes Social Security numbers, birth details, addresses, sexual orientation, disability status, religion and national origin.
- City resources cannot be used to aid immigration investigations or detentions based on immigration status.
- Federal immigration agents cannot access non-public city areas, such as the Prisoner Transport Center, without a judicial warrant.
- Everyone in Albuquerque has the right to city services with respect and dignity, regardless of race, disability, national origin, gender identity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, economic or immigration status.
That wasn’t always the case.
“We had ICE at the Prisoner Transport Center for a while about 15 years ago,” White said. “They weren’t given any resources except a station inside the center where they could set up a laptop and check the identity of everyone passing through.”
According to White, it was safer than sending ICE agents out on the streets.
“We’re willing to work with them any way we can to catch criminals who are illegal immigrants, but it’s much safer to do it that way.”
Sounding the alarm
Darren White has stepped up his criticism of Mayor Keller’s policy, warning it could jeopardize federal operations and public safety. He’s made crime and immigration enforcement key issues in his campaign, promising to roll back sanctuary policies and give police more support to work with federal agents.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, APD said Monday the public can call 242-COPS to ask about “a specific presence in the city and whether that is an ICE operation.”
APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said dispatchers check with ICE and then share that info with callers, but don’t give out any operational details. He compared it to how the department handles SWAT calls.
Gallegos pushed back on White’s criticism, saying it sounds like White wants to keep people in the dark instead of being open with the public.
APD Chief Harold Medina said federal officials have agreed to share information with APD to keep things transparent. He stressed that while APD doesn’t enforce immigration laws, staying open helps avoid confusion and keeps the community safe.
White called the city’s use of APD to confirm federal agents’ presence “very dangerous.” He said, “Anyone with APD has to realize that publicizing the presence of federal agents creates a very dangerous situation. Why create a system to alert potential illegal immigrants who may be committing crimes and are being sought by ICE? That puts agents and the public at risk.”
According to White, officers generally prefer cooperation across jurisdictions and want to work with other law enforcement agencies — whether local, state or federal — when it’s a public safety issue.
In the letter to the U.S. Attorney, White asked his office to review the policy for possible violations relating to “obstruction of justice or interference with the duties of federal officers.”
“I simply ask the U.S. attorney to review this new program established by Mayor Keller,” White said. “To review that program to determine whether it does violate any federal law.”
What should the policy look like?
White said there is a better way to balance public safety with community concerns.
He recommends changes that would include letting ICE verify arrestee information at the Prisoner Transport Center instead of conducting street arrests — something he believes is safer and still respects local laws.
White said the public has a right to know who ICE is arresting and what crimes those individuals are accused of. In his letter to the U.S. attorney, he urged federal officials to release the names and criminal records of undocumented immigrants taken into custody, saying it would clear up confusion fueled by what he called Mayor Keller’s “demonizing” of federal law enforcement.
“I can assure you that there are many people who are illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes — including murder — that ICE is not aware of because we have not informed them,” White said. “What I’m simply saying is, let us know the people you’re apprehending — post what crimes that they’ve been charged with.”
He said that it will take transparency to another level.
White said that if elected mayor, he would look for legal ways to share arrest records with ICE.
“Obviously, we cannot violate the city law, but we will find a way to allow ICE to check the records of those people who have been arrested,” he said. “That’s what law enforcement agencies do — they share information — we’ll find a way that we can provide that information to them, where they look it up and they can make that determination.”
White said he hasn’t heard back from the U.S. Attorney.
Stay informed
- Call (505) 242-COPS or (505) 242-2677 to verify law enforcement presence
- Contact the Mayor’s Office or City Council to share feedback
- Review Albuquerque’s immigrant-friendly policies on the city’s official site
- Know your rights. Hotlines/Apps: Find local immigrant legal resources
- United We Dream
Hotline: (844) 363-1423
“Know Your Rights for Immigrants” App
- ACLU New Mexico
- El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos 505-246-1627
- New Mexico Immigrant Law Center
- New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice
You can find these links and more information/resources about immigrant rights here.