Commentary: Somos Un Pueblo Unido, New Mexico's statewide immigrant's rights organization, released the following statement in response to the House Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee voting on party line (4-3) to move forward Republican Rep. Pacheco's discriminatory HB 99:
"Unfortunately, Gov. Martinez and her allies in the state House prefer to pander to their small anti-immigrant base instead of listening to the majority of New Mexican voters, said Marcela Diaz, Executive Director of Somos Un Pueblo Unido. Rep. Pacheco's punitive proposal not only unnecessarily discriminates against New Mexico immigrant families but would turn the NM Motor Vehicles Department and the Department of Public Safety into de facto immigration enforcement agencies. This would create a shameful deportation pipeline that would severely strain the state's already limited resources not to mention the separation of families. The Governor has said she will veto any bill that is not HB99-- a proposal worse than Arizona's infamous SB1070 and Alabama's HB56-- that is not only un-democratic but wrong for New Mexico."
Somos Un Pueblo Unido is a statewide immigrant-led civil and worker's rights organization with membership teams in ten counties and offices in Santa Fe and Roswell. Somos spearheaded a campaign in 2003 with law enforcement officials, victims rights agencies, and faith and civil rights groups to require qualified undocumented immigrants to apply for licenses, obtain insurance, and register their vehicles