Increasing and aggressive enforcement actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brought on by President Trump’s efforts to expel and deport 16 million undocumented people has become a major flash point in Albuquerque city politics. It is making immigration and public safety big campaign issues in the 2025 Mayor’s race. It is highlighting the bigger fight between local and federal roles in immigration. It is the result of a July 7 incident at a Walmart store and a subsequent policy announcement by Mayor Tim Keller designed to let Albuquerque residents know if ICE is operating in their neighborhood.
This article is an in-depth report on the controversy. It has a postscript containing a Albuquerque Journal guest opinion column by City Councilor Louie Sanchez.
JULY 7 ICE ENFORCMENT ACTION
On July 7 an altercation occurred between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining and tasing a man inside the Albuquerque Walmart located at 2550 Coors Blvd. NW. The video taken of the incident reveals three ICE agents, two of whom are masked, subdue the man with a Taser. The man can be heard screaming on the video. At one point the man falls backwards to the ground and hits his head.
While the federal agents stand over the man, a Walmart official enters the video frame shouting at one person to “get back to work” and approaches the female filming. He orders her to leave the store, telling her she is on “private property.” The 20-second video ends as private security officers begin to escort the woman who filmed the incident out of the store.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/video-ice-uses-taser-detain-182811140.html
The female customer who filmed the July 7 incident posted the video the same day on FACEBOOK. Since then, the video of the incident has gone viral, has drawn national attention and amassed huge numbers of online views, along with comments expressing shock at the violent nature of an unarmed man’s arrest.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5396461-watch-ice-agents-taser-albuquerque-walmart/
Albuquerque City Councilor Klarissa Peña, who represents the area, showed up at the Walmart a few hours later after the incident. People stopped her, showed her the video, and expressed their concerns. Peña said she talked to the Walmart management and Walmart management said the ICE actions were not within their policy. Peña said this:
“Seeing the video, I was just in there, and I could have been there with my grandchild, and for them to witness something like that would be traumatic.”
MAN IN COUNTRY LEGALLY
On July 11, an ICE spokesperson told KRQE News 13 that the incident happened and identified the man as Deivi Molina-Peña and said he was in the country illegally from Venezuela. However, on July 11, the online news agency Source NM, reported that family and friends of Deivi Jose Molina-Pena said he arrived in the United States legally under Temporary Protected Status two years ago from Venezuela and he was employed as a Spanish-speaking “deliverista” for Spark Driver, a delivery service for Walmart. Source NM reported that that it was a feud between American-born delivery drivers for Walmart’s grocery service and Spanish-speaking “deliveristas” that may have led to the federal immigration arrest at the Walmart on July 7. The link to the Source NM report is here:
On July 11, an ICE spokesperson told KRQE News 13 that Molina-Peña fled from agents on July 7, running into the Walmart at Coors and I-40, leading to them to tase him. The ICE spokesperson said the Venezuelan man had recently been arrested by the APD for DWI, resisting arrest, evading police and obstructing an officer. In an email to KRQE News 13 an ICE spokesperson said this about the arrest:
“Given this pattern of behavior this individual is considered a danger to the community. These decisions are never made lightly, but officer safety and the protection of the public remain top priorities. … ICE agents deployed the taser while attempting to detain the man to mitigate that threat and prevent further escalation. … U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and officers are trained to employ force judiciously and in accordance with agency policy and federal standards.”
Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:
https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/man-in-viral-ice-walmart-tasing-video-identified/
“BURQUE OVER BILLIONAIRES”
On Sunday, July 20 over 100 protesters appeared outside the Walmart where the incident occurred to protest the arrest and yelling “Burque Over Billionaires.” Organizers at the protest said they have not been able to locate Molina-Pena. Jayce Cardenas, New Mexico campaign manager for Organized Power in Numbers, said Walmart, like all businesses, should protect its workers. Cardenas said in a speech at the end of the demonstration:
“All business owners should be protecting their workers by making and designating private space that has clear signage so [that] if and when ICE agents come, workers are protected, their Fourth Amendment right is protected.”
According to the Immigration Law Center, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can enter private spaces without permission if they have a judicial warrant signed by a judge. Without that warrant, private property owners may decline immigration enforcement access to their property.
The link to the relied upon or quoted news source is here:
MAYOR KELLER ANNOUNCES NEW POLICY
On July 12 Mayor Tim Keller sent out the following FACEBOOK post announcing a new policy:
Dear ABQ Neighbor,
You’ve seen the headlines—Trump officials are ramping up immigration raids and threatening to cut critical funding from cities like Albuquerque. These federal cuts target our police, housing programs, and most vulnerable residents. I’m not staying silent while that happens.
That’s why we just joined two national lawsuits to fight back. These cases challenge the Trump administration’s efforts to slash funding for our police officers, law enforcement tools, affordable housing, and homelessness programs—just because we won’t turn local law enforcement into immigration agents.
We’re standing up for our values and for what keeps our city safe.
At the same time, I announced a commonsense step to improve public safety and transparency right here at home. After a troubling ICE incident at a local Walmart, we created a new way for residents to call APD directly and ask: “Are those federal immigration agents in my neighborhood?” No sensitive details are disclosed—just confirmation of the agency, like we do with SWAT calls. This helps reduce confusion, prevent panic, and protect public trust.
Let me be clear: APD does not and will not enforce immigration laws. But when armed agents show up without clear identification, people get scared—and that fear can escalate into danger. We’re not going to let confusion make our communities less safe.
Unfortunately, Republican mayoral candidate Darren White is attacking this effort. Instead of backing transparency and safety, he’s playing politics with people’s fear. He wants secrecy. We’re choosing clarity.
Public safety is built on trust. When families know APD isn’t acting as an arm of ICE, they’re more likely to report crimes, call for help, and work with officers. That makes every neighborhood safer. And when federal overreach threatens our housing and policing resources, we won’t back down—we’ll go to court and fight for Albuquerque.
I’m choosing facts over fear, leadership over posturing, and standing with our communities instead of dividing them. That’s how we protect Albuquerque.
— Mayor Tim Keller
APD CLARIFIES NEW POLICY
The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued a statement saying the federal officials have agreed to share more information with police about immigration operations in the city. According to a statement issued by APD, the public can call 242-COPS, which is APD’s non-emergency number, to inquire about “a specific presence in the city and whether that is an ICE operation.”
APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said this in the statement.
“Our dispatchers can call ICE and verify whether that is the case, and the dispatcher can relay that verification to the caller. … We will not know or pass along any operational details to members of the public. … The process is similar to that used in SWAT activations in the city.”
APD Chief Harold Medina said in a statement that he has communicated with Homeland Security Investigations, which oversees ICE, about public concerns. Medina said this:
“While APD does not enforce federal immigration laws, [I] emphasized to federal law enforcement leaders that there must be more transparency around their operations in Albuquerque … As a result, federal officials have agreed to share information with APD when people have questions about operations.”
Medina also said that federal agents must wear markings identifying themselves as law enforcement officials and said this:
“APD is not in the business of immigration enforcement. At the same time, I want to keep lines of communication open to avoid misunderstandings. We want the community to be safe and trust that we are looking out for them.”
Chief Harold Medina said it doesn’t matter if the resident is a legal citizen or not. He says when they break the law, they’ll be sought out by APD.
“At the end of the day, if someone is a criminal, I don’t care if they were born in Albuquerque or another country. Criminals, people breaking the law, endanger our citizens in Albuquerque—regardless, citizens or not—should be in jail.”
DARREN WHITE DEMANDS INVESTIGATION
Darren White is a former APD Officer, former Bernalillo County Sheriff, former NM Cabinet Secretary for Homeland Security and former City Chief Public Safety Officer. White is one of 6 candidates running against Tim Keller for Mayor. On July 13, Darren White reacted to Keller’s FACEBOOK post by calling for U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Ryan Ellison to investigate the legality of the hotline that would identify if ICE were taking enforcement actions.
White announced on FACEBOOK that he sent a letter US Attorney Ryan Ellison and proclaimed “this reckless move could put federal agents and the public at risk.” The following is the contents of White’s letter to US Attorney Ryan Ellison:
Dear U.S. Attorney Ellison
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding a policy recently announced by Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller that directs the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) to facilitate illegal immigrants’ ability to verify where federal immigration agents are operating within the city.
As stated in a public post by mayor Keller, “You can call APD directly to get answers” regarding the presence of federal immigration agents. This statement was made alongside a broader announcement that the city has created “a new way to verify” the operations of federal agents in Albuquerque. If Mayor Keller doesn’t want ICE making apprehensions in public, he can rescind the Sanctuary Cit law and can once again allow ICE access to the Prisoner Transport Center. That would be safe for law enforcement, the public and even the criminals being apprehended.
As a former law enforcement officer, I am alarmed by the implications of the directive. Publicizing or confirming the presence and locations of federal agents – especially those involved in immigration enforcement, creates a dangerous situation. It risks compromising sensitive operations, places federal personnel in imminent danger, and could even endanger members of the public. Moreover, this policy may have the unintended effect of aiding illegal immigrants, involved in criminal activity, who are actively attempting to evade lawful apprehension.
I respectfully urge you to review the specifics of this APD initiative to determine whether it violates any federal law, including those relating to obstruction of justice or interference with the duties of federal officers. Also, I strongly urge you to release the identities and criminal records of all the illegal immigrants arrested by ICE. This will certainly provide the public with the clarity necessary to avoid any confusion over these federal enforcement activities – confusion ironically exacerbated by a mayor demonizing federal law enforcement at every town hall he attends.
I have attached a copy of the mayor’s public post for your review.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Darren White
https://x.com/darrenPwhite/status/1944524068000256405/photo/1
In interviews with the media after he sent his letter to U.S. Attorney Ellison, White called Keller’s new policy “dangerous” for federal law enforcement officers. White said this about Keller’s FACEBOOK post:
“I know that his post may have been his way of trying to cater to a certain segment of our community. … But you don’t do that at the risk of endangering federal law enforcement officers and the public. I thought that was reckless. … I’m very concerned about the police department establishing some type of a tip line for people to call to verify whether (ICE) is working in certain neighborhoods. You are providing information about legitimate law enforcement operations. That could be dangerous.”
In an interview with the online news outlet City Desk, White said this:
“We have enough of our own criminals. … We don’t need to let illegal immigrants who are in our country committing crimes stay here to commit more. I don’t think that’s a common-sense position to take. I think it’s a radical approach by the mayor to say ‘Well, we don’t care that illegal immigrants who are committing crimes are here’ and to provide them a shield from apprehension. That, to me, is radical. … As a former law enforcement officer, I’m very alarmed by the implications of that.”
White called the city’s use of APD to confirm federal agent’s enforcement actions in the city “very dangerous” and he said this:
“Anyone with APD has to realize that publicizing the presence of federal agents creates a very dangerous situation. Why create a system to alert potential illegal immigrants who may be committing crimes and are being sought by ICE? That puts agents and the public at risk.”
“I can assure you that there are many people who are illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes — including murder — that ICE is not aware of because we have not informed them. … What I’m simply saying is, let us know the people you’re apprehending — post what crimes that they’ve been charged with.”
WHITE’S BETTER WAY RARELY USED
White said there is a better way to balance public safety with community concerns. He wants changes that would include letting ICE verify arrestee information at the Prisoner Transport Center instead of conducting street arrests, something he believes is safer and still respects local laws.
White said the public has a right to know who ICE is arresting and what crimes those individuals are accused of committing. In his letter to the U.S. attorney, he urged federal officials to release the names and criminal records of undocumented immigrants taken into custody, saying it would clear up confusion fueled by what he called Mayor Keller’s “demonizing” of federal law enforcement.
White said that if elected mayor, he would look for legal ways to share arrest records with ICE and said this:
“Obviously, we cannot violate the city law, but we will find a way to allow ICE to check the records of those people who have been arrested. … That’s what law enforcement agencies do — they share information — we’ll find a way that we can provide that information to them, where they look it up and they can make that determination.”
White called on Albuquerque officials to reestablish access for federal officials at the city’s Prisoner Transport Center at Fourth and Roma NW to check on the immigration status of people arrested by APD. It was a practice allowed under former Mayor Richard Berry when White was Berry’s appointed Chief public Safety Officer. The practice was ended soon after Keller was elected mayor in 2017. White said this:
“We just let [federal officials] set up a laptop and they could check people who were coming in. … [Today] some of these people are being charged with very serious felony crimes, violent crimes. It makes no sense to me that we wouldn’t want ICE to apprehend them and have them deported once they serve their sentence.”
APD officials responded to White saying that ICE officials rarely used their access to the Prisoner Transport Center when it was available to them. APD Spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said this:
“[APD Chief Medina] … recalls that ICE had a desk in the [Prisoner Transport Center] several years ago under [the Berry] … administration but rarely staffed it. … ICE currently does not have access to the Prisoner Transport Center, where we are focused on arresting and booking people who break local and state criminal laws.”
“Darren White should be asked to be specific about why he thinks an open line of communication would endanger law enforcement and the public. … As it stands, it sounds like he is promoting secrecy and keeping the public in the dark about what’s happening in their own community.”
The link to the relied upon or quoted news source is here:
MAYOR KELLER AND APD CHIEF MEDINA RESPOND TO WHITE
Mayor Keller responded to White’s criticism by saying this during a press conference:
“He’s just wrong. … This was arranged with our chief of police, and with … Homeland Security. They were OK with transparency, and we [are] … just a go between to identify operations. So yeah, he’s just misinformed and way off base.”
APD Chief Harold Medina confirmed that he communicated with Homeland Security Investigations, which oversees ICE, about public concerns. Medina said this:
“While APD does not enforce federal immigration laws … [I] emphasized to federal law enforcement leaders that there must be more transparency around their operations in Albuquerque. … As a result, federal officials have agreed to share information with APD when people have questions about operations. … APD is not in the business of immigration enforcement. … At the same time, I want to keep lines of communication open to avoid misunderstandings. We want the community to be safe and trust that we are looking out for them. … At the end of the day, if someone is a criminal, I don’t care if they were born in Albuquerque or another country. … Criminals, people breaking the law, endanger our citizens in Albuquerque—regardless, citizens or not—should be in jail.”
FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY ALEX UBALLEZ WEIGHS IN ON CONTROVERSY
Mayoral candidate and former U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez watched the spectacle unfold between Keller and White on social media. Uballez said both Keller and White stances on the issue are inadequate, and he said this:
“That’s a little too little too late. Public safety is a thing that has to be done smart. … We don’t have to choose between the cruel and the ineffective in this city.”
Uballez has proposed 11 policies of his own on social media under the tag line “there’s more we can do” in opposition to both Keller and White. His policy proposals include the following 5 major points:
- Require federal agents to wear visible identification, ban the use of masks during enforcement actions and require ICE to identify themselves during enforcement actions.
- Require local law enforcement to verify federal agents’ identity when and if deployed to sites of enforcement activity.
- Establish a formal designation restricting ICE enforcement near schools , churches, shelters and other sensitive sites.
- Facilitate virtual access to services and the courts.
- Create city emergency response infrastructure and give city 911 and 311 operators tools and the resources to support families who have been impacted by ICE and are in crisis.
OTHER CANDIDATES WEIGH IN
Four candidates running for Mayor sent the following statements to Channel 4 news:
DANIEL CHAVEZ:
“The sweeping raids we have seen across the country are alarming for Hispanic families who are just trying to live their lives. Law enforcement transparency is necessary, and while it’s not comfortable to fully trust the APD when they say they’ve got the public’s best interest after years of failing to keep our city safe, I’m not going to agree with Darren White who resigned in disgrace after the police union gave him a vote of “no confidence.”
LOUIE SANCHEZ:
“Tim Keller continues his tenure as a failed leader, prioritizing political posturing with his sidekick, Chief Medina, over real leadership. The Albuquerque Police Department’s sole responsibility is to keep our streets safe. Grandstanding and misrepresentations about Albuquerque’s immigrant-friendly policy simply doesn’t serve the best interests of the people of this city. As mayor, I will create a safer community by working with all law enforcement partners and community members to ensure Albuquerqueans can thrive.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The postscript below provides a guest opinion column written by City Councilor Louie Sanchez and published on July 20 by the Albuquerque Journal.
ALEXANDER UBALLEZ:
“The people of Albuquerque deserve a better choice than the cruel and the ineffective. Workers are being tased at Walmart in our city. Farmworkers are dying. What we are facing from Trump’s attacks makes urgent action to protect our neighbors necessary. What’s been put in place before is not enough for what we are facing now. That’s why I put together 11 policies to show Albuquerque families that the city is fighting for them and to strengthen what the city can do in response to ICE’s targeting our residents.”
MAYLING ARMIJO:
“As a Navy veteran, I know real leadership means building trust, not playing political games. Mayor Keller and Chief Medina aren’t standing up to ICE — they’re using a hotline as a political maneuver while doing nothing to make Albuquerque safer. We need to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the community, not feed fear. As mayor, I’ll bring in a new police chief, boost officer recruitment, and invest in real community policing that enforces the law fairly and focuses on criminals regardless of their immigration status.”
https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/where-do-albuquerque-mayoral-candidates-stand-on-ice-raids/
EDDIE VARELA said the city should cooperate with federal agencies.
PATRICK SAIS only sent the answer “comply.”
“SANCTUARY CITY” VERSUS “IMMIGRANT FRIENDLY” CITY
For the last 23 years, Albuquerque has had a hands-off approach to immigration enforcement by officially labeling itself “immigrant-friendly” city and limiting local police cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. APD does not enforce immigration laws nor detain people for ICE without a warrant.
It was in 2001, long before Trump was President and Keller was Mayor, that the Albuquerque City Council declared the city to be an “Immigrant-Friendly City” by City Council ordinance. The ordinance was originally sponsored by former Republican City Councilor Hess Yntema who represented the South East Heights area, including the International District that has the highest concentration of immigrants. Councilor Yntema’s wife is also naturalized citizen of the United States. The ordinance provides that the City of Albuquerque “welcomes and encourages immigrants to live, work and study in Albuquerque and to participate in community affairs, and recognizes immigrants for their important contributions to our culture and economy.”
In 2018, the Albuquerque City Council passed amendments to the original ordinance affirming the city was an “immigrant-friendly city,” again carefully avoiding the term “sanctuary city.” The 2018 legislation was sponsored by Albuquerque City Councilor Klarissa Peña. Then City Councilor Pat Davis asked to co-author the measure and Peña allowed it. Davis said this:
“We were really clear about being sure that we didn’t use sanctuary language. …We wanted to ensure transparency and cooperation, but also protect vulnerable residents.”
A “Sanctuary City” requires local government to essentially shield the undocumented from federal authorities and federal arrests. “Immigrant Friendly” cities on the other hand enact policies that are favorable to undocumented people to allow them city services like all other residents and its local law enforcement personnel do not make arrests for violations of federal immigration laws and only make arrests of undocumented people for violations of local ordinances and state laws.
Albuquerque does allow the sharing of arrest records of municipal and state violations with federal immigration agents. However, the city does not compile any information on immigration status of suspects and prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using municipal facilities or resources. This balance distinguishes the city’s approach from more overt sanctuary city policies.
The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs manages the Immigrant Friendly City Resolution. It requires city departments to review policies for compliance and report back to the council. Key provisions as reported by the online news agency City Desk include:
- “City entities cannot collect citizenship or immigration status unless required by law for federal or state program eligibility or city employment.
- City employees must keep personal information confidential unless needed to provide services, comply with public records requests, or required by law. Personal information includes Social Security numbers, birth details, addresses, sexual orientation, disability status, religion and national origin.
- City resources cannot be used to aid immigration investigations or detentions based on immigration status.
- Federal immigration agents cannot access non-public city areas, such as the Prisoner Transport Center, without a judicial warrant.
- Everyone in Albuquerque has the right to city services with respect and dignity, regardless of race, disability, national origin, gender identity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, economic or immigration status.”
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
ICE agents wearing masks, tactical vests and armed without identifying themselves to apprehend and arrest people without arrest warrants is as shocking and authoritarian and as fascist as it gets. It’s what happens in countries like Russia and North Korea. It should not be tolerated nor be happening in a democracy such as ours. It’s an affront to our constitutional rights, civil rights and due process of law guaranteed to all, including undocumented immigrants.
Mayor Keller and Chief Medina were right to seek better cooperation with Homeland Security to implement a program for ICE to share information with APD it can disseminate when people have questions about ICE operations in the city.
Alexander Uballez’s proposed policies to deal with ICE merit serious consideration. He is a former United States Attorney who understands the limitations that should be imposed on federal law enforcement officers to ensure constitutional practices are followed and that there is respect for constitutional rights and due process of law.
SICKENING TURN OF EVENTS
It is absolutely sickening that in 2025 the lie that Albuquerque is a sanctuary city is once again becoming an issue in the race Mayor of Albuquerque. Voters can thank Republican Darren White for it as he seeks to use one of the most divisive issues in the country to divide the community he wants to lead as Mayor and be damned the truth.
White wants to be Mayor of a city with a 49% Hispanic population and a strong Hispanic cultural influence. It’s clear Darren White is appealing to and is attempting to consolidate the Republican MAGA base as he runs against five Hispanics and a very unpopular, Anglo, progressive Democrat Mayor.
White’s divisive ploy just might work because it has worked in the past. White is essentially using the same tactic Richard Berry used to defeat Mayor Marty Chavez and former State Senator Richard Romero. In 2009, Berry and the Republicans used a billboard mounted on a truck that drove through the streets of Albuquerque denouncing Albuquerque as a Sanctuary City and to proclaim Berry would end the city’s sanctuary city policies.
White proclaims himself to be a “proven leader,” “tough on crime” and a “champion for change.” White argues that there have been 660 murders during Keller’s years in office, that an alarming number of businesses have had to close because of crime and that Keller has made Albuquerque a “sanctuary city.” White proclaimed this in his announcement:
“Mayor Keller has presided over the most murders in Albuquerque’s history. His weak approach to crime and homelessness has failed and it’s time for change.”
In a fund-raising letter, White falsely proclaimed this:
“One of Keller’s first acts as Mayor was too make Albuquerque a Sanctuary City for illegal immigrants who commit crimes. Now we have case after case of violent crimes being committed by illegal immigrants, many of who have been arrested multiple times but turned back onto the streets by this Mayor’s backward policies. As Mayor, I will end the Sanctuary City law immediately.”
Simply put, former APD Officer Darren White knows better, unless he flunked “Constitutional Law” at the APD Police Academy which is a real possibility given the inflammatory rhetoric that repeatedly comes out of his big mouth. White knows Keller has no authority to simply “turned back onto the streets” people arrested for a violent crime as White claims. White knows it’s the courts that make such decisions following due process of law.
White is following Donald Trump’s game plan of sowing hostility and mistrust of minorities to win an election. White is using the issue of sanctuary city to “gin up” anti-immigrant fever and animosity as Trump has done on the national level. White throws in the homeless to add to people’s resentments and fears to win votes.
Ostensibly, White has absolutely no problem with ICE agents wearing masks, tactical vests and armed without identifying themselves to apprehend and arrest people without arrest warrants because he does not condemn it. White paints with the broadest of brush when he proclaims “I can assure you that there are many people who are illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes — including murder — that ICE is not aware of because we have not informed them.” His “assurance” is made without offering a scintilla of evidence to back up his claim. White wants to become Mayor by appealing to voter’s darkest fears of “illegal immigrants committing crimes” in a city known for its diversity and tolerance.
White throws in for good measure a healthy dose of self-righteousness. It’s false when White accused Keller of a saying “we don’t care that illegal immigrants who are committing crimes are here and to provide them a shield from apprehension.” He denounces a program approved by the Department of Homeland Security to share more information with police about immigration operations in the city. It’s false when White says it’s dangerous to law enforcement and public safety. It is simply a lie when White says that the City is a Sanctuary City when it never has been and likely will never be.
Voters would be damn fools to vote Republic Darren White as Mayor given his controversial history of public service which includes votes of no confidence by APD and the State Police who he oversaw at the time, interference with APD’s investigation of his wife’s car accident on suspicion of DWI, interference and rummaging through the civil rights attorney Mary Han’s death scene with APD brass, and his flip flop over marijuana legalization by becoming a license medical marijuana provider. Then there is the matter of White claiming he was a Florida full time resident to secure a property tax exemption on a Florida home he owns.
Voters need to reject in no uncertain terms White’s hate speech and his vile use of anti-immigrant fever that appeals to voter’s dark side of resentment, prejudice, hostility and mistrust that has no place in a city as diversified as Albuquerque. Voters should say NO to White as Mayor so he can return to and retire to his Florida home and feel more comfortable living in a Republican red state.
______________________________
POSTSCRIPT
On Sunday, July 20, the Albuquerque Journal published the below guest opinion column by City Councilor Louie Sanchez who is also running for Mayor of Albuquerque:
HEADLINE: Albuquerque’s immigration policy needs clarity, not politics
“For more than two decades, Albuquerque has been — by ordinance and by practice — an immigrant-friendly city. That’s not just a slogan. It’s a reflection of our community’s values and a bipartisan policy first championed in 2000 by Republican City Councilor Hess Yntema. His resolution recognized immigrants’ vital contributions to our culture, economy and neighborhoods. It also made clear that while Albuquerque welcomes immigrants, we are not and have never claimed to be a “sanctuary city.” The difference matters.
An immigrant-friendly city ensures all residents have access to city services, are treated with dignity and most important, local law enforcement is not subject to acting as federal immigration agents. Whereas, a sanctuary city, by contrast, often refuses cooperation with federal immigration enforcement outright, sometimes in defiance of federal law. Albuquerque’s long-standing policy strikes a careful balance between community trust, legal responsibility and its commitment to law and order as it was intended to do so since the inception of the ordinance.
Yet today, this thoughtful approach is being hijacked for political theater. The mayor’s recent announcement about “calling APD” to check on federal immigration agents is a prime example of virtue signaling without real solutions. The idea sounds good until you realize it simply reroutes people through a bureaucratic loop from APD officers to dispatchers to federal agencies that aren’t going to give out operational information. It offers no real clarity or accountability for the outcomes of these inquiries.
On the other extreme, we have political opponents demanding federal investigations, inflaming fear rather than fostering understanding of the ordinance. Neither approach serves Albuquerque’s best interest.
We should stick to the facts: Albuquerque remains an immigrant-friendly city under a policy that originated with a Republican, was reaffirmed in 2018 under ordinance R-24-45 and continues today. We respect our immigrant neighbors. But we also respect all law enforcement agencies both local or federal and allow them to operate within the law and with transparency. And we must ensure city leaders provide clear, honest information, not political gestures or partisan stunts.
As your mayor, I’ll stand for policies that reflect our values, follow the law, and actually work to inform the public and hold our city to higher standards, not just sound good in a press release.”
The link to the guest column is here:
https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/article_302aa639-4fb2-4d25-9475-50e3957d0028.html
The link to a related article is here:
The link to a related article is here: