Can state lawmakers keep immigration detention facilities out of New Mexico?
Maybe — when it comes to new facilities.
But when it comes to the state's ability to kick out detention centers with current contracts, it's more complicated, according to the state Department of Justice.
Chief Deputy Attorney General James Grayson addressed the issue in a request presentation before lawmakers on the Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee titled "Icing ICE?: State's Authority to Regulate Proposed Expansion of ICE Detention in Hobbs."
Other states have enacted legislation aimed at regulating Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities with mixed results, Grayson noted.
California passed legislation precluding local governments from entering into contracts to operate federal detention fac