.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

SANTA FE — Mayor Alan Webber on Wednesday sent a directive to city employees advising them what to do if they engage with federal immigration authorities and as a reminder that it is Santa Fe’s official policy to not assist in immigration enforcement.

If asked by a federal official for any information relating to immigration, city employees are to refer them to the city attorney’s office, then document the encounter for city officials.

The mayor’s memo with the subject line “Immigration Directive” was distributed via email to the city’s 1,504 employees — about 150 of them police officers. The mayor said the procedures he outlined were an effort “to safeguard the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees within the city.”

City spokesman Matt Ross said the memo was not inspired by any specific recent incident.

“It was prompted by the increase in activities that we’ve seen in Santa Fe, in other parts of the state and around the country, and to be sure that we were up to date on our policies and the desire to make sure we carry out those policies to the letter,” Ross said.

On March 5 — the day before Webber won the mayor’s seat in the municipal election — a news conference hosted by Somos un Pueblo Unido, an immigrant and workers’ rights advocacy group, was held at City Hall to warn about increased activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Santa Fe. It was reported then that federal agents had visited at least six local businesses seeking employee eligibility verification forms and that several individuals had been detained.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip

................................................................

Last week, the Journal reported that 63 New Mexico businesses recently were given audit notices as part of ICE’s expanded national efforts targeting undocumented workers and those who employ them, according to information provided by the agency.

Webber’s memo reminds employees that the City Council has declared Santa Fe a city of refuge for immigrants and refugees. He wrote that the city’s policy, “to the extent legally possible,” is for city employees to not assist or voluntarily cooperate with federal immigration investigators. Nor are they to assist or cooperate with the apprehension, arrest or identification of non-citizens on the basis of immigration status.

If any city employee is approached by a federal official regarding any type of immigration information, they are to direct the feds to the City Attorney’s Office. “You are not required to provide any information; our City Attorney will handle the matter,” Webber wrote.

Immediately following any such encounter, employees are to write a memo describing the encounter, what it was about, when it took place and identifying the individuals requesting the information. The resulting documentation is to be sent to the mayor, city manager, and city attorney.