U.S. Department of Justice sues New Mexico to halt immigrant detention bill

The lawsuit alleges the Immigrant Safety Act is unconstitutional and would irreparably harm Otero County and its immigrant detention facility.

By: Patrick Lohmann

Outlets: Source New Mexico

Published: May 8, 2026

Words: 612

Last Updated: 2 months, 2 weeks ago

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The United States Department of Justice on Friday filed a motion urging a federal judge to immediately prohibit New Mexico officials from enforcing House Bill 9, the Immigrant Safety Act, saying the new state law is unconstitutional and would irreparably harm a New Mexico county.

The law prohibits public entities like counties from contracting with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to hold immigrant detainees. The law has faced sustained pushback in …

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