County has ‘moral obligation’ to ramp up tests

When President Donald Trump signed an executive order that sought to punish local governments with policies that support “sanctuary” for immigrants, the popular and legal reaction was swift. While bigger cities like San Francisco and Santa Fe are leading the charge against that presidential directive, the conversation about the role of local governments in protecting immigrants was reignited in Taos.

Over 100 residents took to the Taos County commission chambers — filling all the seats, siting on the floor and pouring out of the doors — Tuesday morning to demand Taos County leaders take a stand as a place of sanctuary for immigrants. 

Father Mike Olsen of St. James Episcopal Church said Taos “has a moral obligation to care for and be inclusive of everyone in our community,” citing a Bible verse while flanked by several other interfaith leaders. 

Sanctuary is a “pretty fluid concept,” said retired judge Peggy Nelson. There is no one policy or definition of a sanctuary city, though it generally refers to local governments committing to not cooperating with federal raids or deportations of immigrants. 

The town of Taos has been a sanctuary city since 2011, said council member Darien Fernandez. That status is based on several resolutions previously approved by the town council. 

Taos County already has one policy in place, passed in 2014, that says staff at the Taos County Adult Detention Center won’t ask about inmates’ immigration status, nor will they report undocumented detainees to the federal government. However, that policy puts the responsibility of notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about undocumented detainees on the district attorney. 

The Taos County commissioners are considering another resolution that would reaffirm and expand the county’s commitment as a place of sanctuary. That vote won’t happen until at least the next county commission meeting.

For more on this story, see the Feb. 9 edition of The Taos News.