Fwd: Op-Ed: New Mexicans Must Stand with Immigrants --Johana Bencomo in Santa Fe New Mexican

[Molly Molloy]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Charlotte 
Date: Mon, Jul 21, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Subject: Op-Ed: New Mexicans Must Stand with Immigrants --Johana Bencomo in Santa Fe New Mexican

Thanks to Charlotte for sharing this op-ed by Las Cruces Mayor Pro Tem Johana Bencomo

Begin forwarded message:

From: Johana Bencomo 

Subject: Op-Ed: New Mexicans Must Stand with Immigrants By Johana Bencomo

Date: July 21, 2025 at 9:59:40 AM MDT

The Santa Fe New Mexican, July 19, 2025

Today I write not just as an elected official but as an immigrant, a woman of color and someone whose very presence in public office is under attack. I am a naturalized U.S. citizen, a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and a proud New Mexican shaped by the values of family, community, resilience and justice that run deep in our state. I strive to lead with integrity, courage, compassion and deep love for people.

Over the past few weeks, my heart has been heavy with grief, rage and resolve. Across the country, many of us have watched in horror as members of our community have been hunted by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, ripped away from job sites, schools and homes. Children have seen their parents violently detained, husbands have watched pregnant wives taken into custody. People have been brutalized asserting their humanity. These are not isolated incidents, this is a strategy — deliberate, cruel and unconstitutional.

Then came the Supreme Court’s devastating rulings. One granted the president unchecked authority to deport people to nations where they weren’t born, regardless of the danger they may face. Then, the court opened the door to weakening and eventually dismantling birthright citizenship, the foundation of equal belonging in this country.

And if that weren’t enough, far-right extremists are now openly calling for laws to bar naturalized citizens from holding public office, some calling for denaturalization of political opponents. Then, even after widespread backlash, Congress passed the devastating “big betrayal bill” that will disproportionately impact our most vulnerable, including wasting billions for immigration enforcement and detention. This is the story the Trump administration is writing, straight from the authoritarian playbook. The question is: Are we participating in that story or writing an entirely different one?

This is no longer about politics. It’s personal. These attacks are designed to silence and erase immigrants. To make people afraid to speak, serve and exist in the halls of power. Well, we refuse to be erased. Citizenship is not a gift to prove worthy of; it’s a legal and moral right. And with that right comes responsibility: to participate in governance and fight for our community and country, especially when under attack.

I am calling on my colleagues, especially at the state and local level, to unequivocally and unapologetically stand with immigrants. Across New Mexico and beyond, our communities are rising, organizing, voting, leading and winning. This is the moment to show courage. The time for hedging and playing it safe is over. Our constituents need bold leadership and action, not talking points and platitudes.

The state Legislature and local governments have both the power and the obligation to protect our communities from xenophobia and authoritarianism. We must pass and defend strong, values-based sanctuary policies proven to enhance safety and trust. That means no public resources — dollars, data or personnel are used to carry out federal immigration enforcement. We must reject ICE facility expansion and divest from a detention system built to profit off the suffering of people. We must ensure every New Mexican, regardless of immigration status, can access lifesaving health care, especially survivors of violence. We must protect birthright citizenship, due process and access to education for all. And we must do all this hand in hand with grassroots groups and community leaders doing this work every day.

They fight with fear. We fight with love. When they show up with violence and lies, we respond with dignity and truth. New Mexico must be a model for what justice looks like when we center humanity over fear and courage over comfort. We must rise to this moment in history.

Johana Bencomo is the mayor pro tem for the city of Las Cruces.