A day after a trio of city councilors joined dozens of community advocates and state legislators in support of new city legislation to frustrate federal immigration enforcement efforts in Albuquerque, another councilor says he’ll try to amend the bill to make them liable for the consequences.
In Feb., City Desk reported that some city councilors and community groups were organizing to introduce a new batch of ordinances aimed at protecting local immigrant communities from new federal enforcement efforts.
On Tues., their efforts gained more steam. City Desk reported that Councilors Joaquín Baca from Downtown, Stephanie Telles, Westside, and Nichole Rogers, International District, were organizing to pass new legislation allowing local businesses to prohibit federal immigration activities on their property without warrants and codify limits on city staff activities that could aid those efforts.
On Wed., City Councilor Dan Lewis, Westside, teased language of an amendment he intends to introduce to hold the bills supporters liable for damages or injuries resulting from noncompliance with federal officers or criminal actions by persons ICE were blocked from arresting.
“My amendment is intended to protect the residents of Albuquerque by establishing liability when a City ordinance obstructs, delays, or otherwise prevents federal law enforcement officers from executing lawful warrants,” said Lewis. “If the City stands in the way of enforcing a lawful warrant and a crime is committed, the victim should be compensated.”
A summary of the text says that “any City Councilor voting in favor of the ordinance, and the Mayor upon signing it, shall be deemed to have knowingly accepted responsibility for the consequences of its enforcement, effectively waiving legal immunities for related claims.”
The council is scheduled to vote on the ordinance on Mon. March 16.
Though the city’s elected positions are officially nonpartisan, all three of the ordinance’s sponsors are Democrats. Lewis is a Republican.
Read more in this ongoing city debate from City Desk:
