President Donald Trump just launched his re-election campaign, and he also Tweeted that starting next week, there would be mass arrests based on immigration violations. This comes as detention centers around the country are and accused of . Families in New Mexico are feeling the impact of that familiar and uncertain threat.
Though it鈥檚 not the first time Trump promised to escalate Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests and deportations, New Mexico advocates say ongoing tensions and fears remain high.
Marcela Diaz, the executive director of , said the organization鈥檚 members have had their workplaces scrutinized, and that makes them nervous about what could come next. "What we assume could happen is that people will start receiving those knocks on the doors at 6 o鈥檆lock in the morning," she said. "Because we鈥檝e seen these throughout the country and certainly in New Mexico within the last two years, where they鈥檙e at home, ICE shows up with a warrant for their arrest."
It鈥檚 vital that people in these situations and that families have plans in place, Diaz said. Most importantly, people don鈥檛 have to open their door鈥攁nd ICE often doesn鈥檛 have a search warrant, she said. Folks can choose to remain silent, Diaz added, and they don鈥檛 have to divulge their status.
"We need to stop this attack on our families," she said. "We need to do everything that we can to change this terrible system that we have, as an electorate, as a community, as people who really care."
