Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman speaks on actions taken by President Trump on immigration

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Bernalillo County law enforcement leaders are sending a message to immigrant communities following Trump’s executive orders. The District Attorney’s Office said it will not target people due to their residency status.

“We are not going after people because of their immigration status,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. “That is just not going to happen.”

Bregman is skeptical about President Trump’s approach to cracking down on illegal immigration. “I don’t think this is going to do anything but make us less safe in our community,” Bregman said.

His office says they will continue to prosecute criminals in the county to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of if they’re an American citizen, or not. They added they will not specifically seek out undocumented immigrants. In fact, according to his office, they don’t even keep track of a person’s residency status. “The idea of assisting any type of immigration efforts, immigration law efforts, is not something this office is going to participate in,” Bregman explained.

Bregman said he’s concerned the executive orders will affect if immigrants report crimes they see, adding his office relies on witness testimony on a number of cases each year. He is also worried that immigrants who are victims of crimes would hesitate to come forward, leaving the perpetrator out on the streets.

“I’m afraid now when an undocumented immigrant gets raped, and instead of going to the hospital and perhaps getting a rape kit done, she’s scared to even report the crime because she’s afraid that she and or her family will be deported if she shows up to the hospital,” Bregman added.

Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman released the following statement on recent actions taken by President Trump on immigration:

Serving as both the District Attorney for Bernalillo County and the Chairman of the Governor’s Organized Crime Commission (OCC), I committed to the people of our county and state that I would do everything in my power to protect them from harm.

In the over two years that I have been on the job, I have seen the devastating effects that crime has had on our communities, regardless of immigration status. I can also say that one of the best tools that we have in fighting back against crime is for brave people in our state to step forward – when they either see crime happening or have crime committed against them. Without these brave individuals, we would be facing a much larger problem in all of our neighborhoods.

I am concerned for the safety of our community, especially our immigrant population, who will now be far less likely to come forward when they witness a crime occurring or have a crime perpetrated against them. Driving this population underground will undoubtedly lead to more crime going unpunished, leaving more criminals on our streets. I want to make it very clear to our immigrant population that no person will ever be targeted, detained, or prosecuted, simply due to their residency status or the color of their skin in my jurisdiction.

I also want to make it clear that in my roles as District Attorney as well as the Chairman of the OCC, I will continue to vigorously work with all agencies to go after criminals in our state. However, I will in no way assist with the recent executive orders involving immigration. My office has consistently worked to protect all victims of crimes and we will continue to prosecute all criminals to the full extent of the law.