New Mexico Sues Trump Administration over Immigration Policies
- Office of New Mexico Governor Lujan
Grisham -
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced, on behalf of
the
state of New Mexico, that she is suing the U.S. government in an
effort to halt the Trump administration's indiscriminate practice
of releasing migrants in communities in the state's borderland
area in violation of the federal government's "safe release"
policy, leaving vulnerable individuals and families without
assistance and burdening local governments as well as nonprofit
organizations. The complaint is also seeking reimbursement for
the costs incurred by the state as a result of the federal
government's derogation of duty to administer this country's
immigration system and claims of asylum.
Filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New
Mexico,
the governor's complaint, with the city of Albuquerque as
co-plaintiff, takes issue with the federal government's
abandonment of its longstanding safe release program, through
which asylum-seeking individuals were provided assistance in
reaching their final destinations while waiting for their claims
to be processed. The sudden and unlawful abandonment of this
policy was done without notice or opportunity for input by
affected jurisdictions, the state and city of Albuquerque
included. The policy decisions of the federal government have had
profound and myriad impacts upon the state of New Mexico and on
asylum seekers, who have been left to fend for themselves in
border-adjacent New Mexico communities. While the state and
border communities have endeavoured to avert an escalation of the
humanitarian crisis this policy has exacerbated, New Mexico's
efforts have come at great cost, and there exists no timeline for
a cessation or easing of the situation.
The state and city are asking the court to vacate the
federal
government's termination of its safe release policy, as it is
without legal force or effect; issue preliminary and permanent
injunctions requiring the named defendants to provide
asylum-seeking individuals and families the equivalent assistance
to that provided under the safe release policy; and require a
reimbursement of the expenses the state and city have incurred in
response to the unlawful abandonment of the safe release
policy.
The complaint names Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan of
the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Acting Director Mark Morgan
of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Deputy
Director Matthew Albence of [ICE],
Executive Associate Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal
Operations Nathalie Asher, and Carla Provost, the chief of U.S.
Border Patrol.
"The Trump administration has consistently and
flagrantly
failed in its response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis at our
southern border as well as in addressing legitimate border-security
concerns," Governor Lujan Grisham said. "The president
has shown time and again he is interested only in demonizing the
vulnerable people who arrive at our border, stoking unfounded
fears about national security while taking no action to
substantively and proactively protect immigrants and our southern
border communities from human- and drug-trafficking. There has
been no leadership. In the vacuum, New Mexico communities have
stepped up. But long-term remedies are needed. This legal action
is intended to protect, in equal measure, New Mexicans and local
governments in the southern part of our state as well as the
asylum-seeking individuals from Central America and elsewhere who
have been treated with neglect by decision-makers in
Washington."
"Local faith-based organizations and volunteers have
been left
to clean up the federal administration's immigration mess,"
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said. "By abandoning the 'safe
release' policy, the federal government has abandoned the border
states. Albuquerque's compassionate community members stepped up
to help these struggling families as they legally pass through
our city on their difficult journey, and our city has stepped up
to support our friends and neighbours with this effort. It's time
for the federal administration to step up and fulfill its legal
responsibilities to these families, to our state and to our
city."
In April, San Diego County filed a similar lawsuit in
U.S.
District Court in Southern California."
This article was published in
Volume 49 Number 22 - June 15, 2019
Article Link:
New Mexico Sues Trump Administration over Immigration Policies - Office of New Mexico Governor Lujan
Grisham
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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