LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - The Latest on southern New Mexico sheriff and immigration cases (all times local):
4:30 p.m.
A civil liberties group says a southern New Mexico sheriff is “deceiving the public” by secretly cooperating with federal agents on immigration cases.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico said Wednesday it is “deeply troubling” that documents showed Dona Ana County Sheriff Enrique Vigil referred hundreds of cases to U.S. Customs and Border Protection despite previous claims he wouldn’t enforce immigration laws.
KTSM-TV in El Paso, Texas, reports documents obtained by the station this week showed that Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office forwarded more than 500 cases to Customs and Border Protection between October 2016 and September 2017.
Dona Ana County Sheriff Enrique Vigil told the station last month that his deputies didn’t enforce federal immigration laws.
A spokeswoman for Vigil did not immediately return an email.
___
1 a.m.
A southern New Mexico sheriff is facing questions after documents show his office has referred hundreds of cases to U.S. Customs and Border Protection despite previous claims his offices didn’t enforce immigration policies.
KTSM-TV in El Paso, Texas, reports documents obtained by the station this week showed that Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office forwarded more than 500 cases to Customs and Border Protection between October 2016 and September 2017.
Dona Ana County Sheriff Enrique Vigil told the station last month that his deputies didn’t enforce federal immigration laws.
When the station confronted Vigil about the record, he declined to comment.
Records showed Vigil’s deputies referred 518 cases to Customs and Border Protection during Operation Stone Garden.
The program “joint efforts to secure the United States borders along routes of ingress from international borders.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.