On Thursday, Congressman Gabe Vasquez held a virtual press conference alongside New Mexico immigration advocates to discuss what his office is doing in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Amid President Trump’s mass deportations and flurry of immigration-related executive orders, Congressman Vasquez said he intends to introduce an updated bill that he initially brought to Congress in 2023. Known as the Humane Accountability Act, the congressman said the legislation is aimed at bringing more oversight to immigration detention centers, including military installations overseas, and would ensure due process for individuals detained by federal law enforcement.
“This bill is about making sure that every person is treated humanely, that Congress is informed, and that our constitutional values are upheld no matter who’s in power,” Vasquez said. “Detention centers like those in Torrance County in New Mexico have shown substandard care. And [The Department of Homeland Security] has to be held accountable, as well as the private prison corporations that operate these centers on behalf of DHS.”
Casey Mangan, an immigration attorney with New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, praised the congressman for his work on the bill, calling it an important step toward holding detention centers accountable and guaranteeing due process provided under the Constitution.
“Now more than ever, we need to enforce the rule of law and support the important power that Congress has to provide a check on executive power,” Mangan said.
Congressman Vasquez said he would continue his efforts to pass the bill despite having little faith that the current administration would sign the legislation.
