Santa Fe – On Wednesday morning, around 9:20 a.m., federal immigration officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a man in the public parking area of La Familia Health’s clinic on Alto Street. The man was accompanied by his minor child, who was not taken into custody and was later released to a family member.
Clinic’s account
Jasmin Milz, chief marketing and development officer for La Familia Health, told KOAT that agents followed the man from his home to the clinic, entered the lot, blocked his vehicle and arrested him. Milz emphasized that the agents did not enter the clinic building or approach any staff, describing the incident as a targeted arrest. The organization, which leases the Alto Street building from the city, said it has no knowledge of why the man was detained.
City and congressional response
Santa Fe Mayor Michael J. Garcia said the police department and other city officials were not notified before the enforcement action. “In most occurrences like this, our police department is not notified,” Garcia noted, adding that this appears to be the first immigration arrest at a health‑care facility in Santa Fe.
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, who was traveling to the Torrance County Detention Facility at the time, said the incident may be part of a broader immigration enforcement operation in the city. She received photographs from a witness and was told that up to eight people might have been detained that day, though the Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed that number.
Potential policy implications
Santa Fe currently has no ordinance prohibiting federal immigration enforcement on city‑owned property or at health‑care locations. Mayor Garcia indicated the city is drafting a policy that would bar such activity on municipal land if adopted by the governing body.
Albuquerque, the state’s largest city, already has an ordinance protecting “sensitive locations” such as schools, churches and hospitals from immigration enforcement. La Familia Health officials said staff have been trained to respond to any future attempts by agents to enter a facility, including verifying warrants and limiting access to non‑public areas.
Community concerns
Both clinic officials and city leaders warned that visible immigration enforcement near health facilities could deter residents from seeking medical care. “When they see armed people with masks, it’s frightening,” Milz said, noting that fear is widespread regardless of legal status.
Mayor Garcia echoed this sentiment, stating that fear of enforcement could create a public‑health problem by causing people to avoid preventive or emergency treatment, and could also discourage cooperation with law‑enforcement investigations.
La Familia Health’s role
La Familia serves more than 15,000 patients annually across four Santa Fe locations. Approximately 43% of its patients are uninsured and another 25% receive Medicaid. The organization provides medical, dental and behavioral health services without collecting citizenship information and has no plans to begin doing so.
State monitoring
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office confirmed it is aware of the reported enforcement activity and is monitoring the situation. A spokesperson said the governor has repeatedly urged ICE officers to obey state laws and the U.S. Constitution, supporting a humane deportation policy that focuses on serious criminals rather than families seeking a better life.
Ongoing investigation
KOAT has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for confirmation of the arrest, the identity of the detained individual, the reason for his detention and his current location. As of Wednesday night, DHS had not responded.
Original reporting: KOAT Albuquerque — read the source article.
