ICE ‘incursion’:

Mayor decries agency’s efforts during coronavirus crisis

Mayor Alan Webber and local immigration advocates are calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to halt its activities after six businesses in Santa Fe were visited last week for inspections to verify workers’ citizenship and identities.

Webber said in an interview Thursday the “incursion by ICE was outrageous” in the midst of a national economic and health crisis.

“We cannot have people hiding in the shadows with symptoms of the coronavirus because they’re afraid they will be scooped up and deported,” Webber said. “Everyone’s health is put at risk by irresponsible enforcement.”

Webber said he will ask New

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Everyone’s health is put at risk by irresponsible enforcement.” Mayor Alan Webber

Mexico’s congressional delegation to inquire into ICE enforcement procedures, including inspections of I-9 documents — paperwork that, among other things, shows employees’ work eligibility.

“I’ve written them [ICE officials] a letter before, and I got a very unsatisfactory response,” Webber said. “I think they’re probably more likely to take seriously an inquiry from the congressional delegation.”

He said this is the time for empathy. “I’m encouraging people to look after each other, and I’d encourage ICE to back off,” Webber said.

In a statement Wednesday, ICE officials said they would temporarily “exercise discretion to delay enforcement actions until after the crisis or utilize alternatives to detention, as appropriate,” due to COVID-19 concerns.

While the statement said that could mean a shift to focus on mandatory detention because of criminal backgrounds, it’s unclear what changes the agency will make.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to requests for comment.

Marcela Díaz, executive director of immigrant-rights nonprofit Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said there’s no indication the agency is backing off the enforcement of I-9 inspections, which require employers to verify a worker’s identity.

She said the six businesses that had surprise I-9 inspections in Santa Fe all were immigrant-owned restaurants.

“These inspections are an incredibly scary process and worsened a precarious situation for workers who have dropped hours or are getting laid off,” Díaz said.

Díaz said one of the greatest concerns is that any records on file, such as photocopies of driver’s licenses and last known addresses can be used by the agency for other enforcement, such as deportation.

A Santa Fe restaurant owner who received an I-9 inspection last week said his business has faced two blows: the virus and fear.

The man, who declined to give his name because he fears reprisal by ICE, said all his employees, regardless of their immigration status, were scared by the visit, and his kitchen staff resigned.

“They walked out and we had to shut down,” he said. “On top of everything with the virus going around, and the rest of the staff are asking to work … it hurts business.”

He said he’s talking with his bookkeeper to get the documents but hopes Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and others will intercede to make immigrants feel safe.

“I hope they let us work. We don’t want to feel afraid,” he said. “We cannot operate without workers. We have families. Let us work.”