City Council Recap

At its Monday, Oct. 6, regular meeting the Las Cruces City Council approved a resolution reaffirming the City’s commitment to creating a quality place to live and work through nondiscrimination in all areas of City government and declaring the City a welcoming community. The resolution also affirms the City’s immigrant-friendly status and commitment to the established rule of law.

After Council discussion and more than one and one-half hours of public input, the resolution was approved by a vote of 5-2. Councilors Cassie McClure, Becki Graham, Johana Bencomo, Becky Corran, and Yvonne Flores voted in favor of the resolution; Councilor Bill Mattiace and Mayor Eric Enriquez voted against it.

The vote was the same as the Council approved two amendments proposed by City Attorney Brad Douglas to change language in the resolution.

The resolution reaffirmed the Human Rights Ordinance enacted in 1997 that codifies the City’s commitment to nondiscrimination in all areas of government, is applicable to the participants and beneficiaries of City services, and establishes a way to report violations.

The resolution also references two Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) general orders that are in compliance with the Human Rights Ordinance:

• General Order 165, titled Bias-Based Policing (enacted 2011, revised 2016 and 2025), which requires “equitable and fair treatment” of individuals during all law enforcement contacts, that their constitutional rights be respected and protected, and that LCPD provide the same level of police service to everyone regardless of any personal characteristics.
• General Order 166, titled Undocumented Foreign Nationals (enacted 2011, revised 2025), which includes the directive that LCPD employees “are not authorized to detain or arrest any person solely based on their nationality or ethnicity.”
• General Order 166 also prohibits police officers from assisting others, including school personnel and other law enforcement officials, in detaining or questioning minor children based solely on any immigration-related matter while on public school property.

According to the resolution, LCPD is dedicated to expending the resources at its disposal to crime detection, prevention, and effective responses, not for solely immigration-related purposes.

The resolution also states the City is committed to protecting the nondisclosure and confidentiality of sensitive personal information and will not provide this information without a valid, signed judicial warrant, or as required by federal and state statute.

City staff will begin implementing policies within six months to a year to provide clear direction to all City employees on how to comply with lawful orders while still protecting sensitive information.

The resolution also establishes City policy to prohibit the use of any City resources for assistance in federal immigration enforcement or the operation of out-of-state or federal law enforcement to identify or impose civil or criminal liability on anyone because of their participation in activities protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, including assembly, petitioning and speech, except as required by state or federal law.

The resolution does not preclude City personnel from providing emergency assistance to federal agencies in cases where there is a substantial risk of imminent harm to health or safety of any person or the public at large.
At the Oct. 6 meeting, the City Council also passed:

• A resolution approving the submission of three grant applications to the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) Water Trust Board for three City projects totaling a little more than $4.5 million;
• An ordinance approving a loan agreement between the City and NMFA in the amount of $15 million to finance the costs of conducting a lead service line replacement project in the City and to determine if lead exists in City water lines.
• An ordinance approving a loan agreement between the City and NMFA in the amount of $3 million to finance the costs of making improvements to the City’s two-million-gallon Telshor water tank.
• All three passed 6-0, with Councilor Mattiace absent.

To watch City Council meetings, visit the City’s YouTube page.