[Lwvcnmtopics] LWVCNM - Reminder - Monthly Meeting Tomorrow December 12th at Noon - Beyond Detention Walls: Understanding Immigrant Detention in New Mexico

Wed Dec 11 11:33:38 MST 2024

 Dear Members,

This is a reminder to please join us tomorrow for our final educational
meeting of the year Thursday, December 12th at noon. The meeting is hybrid;
both in person in our conference room, 6739 Academy Rd NE, and via Zoom.
Our topic this month is *Beyond Detention Walls: Understanding Immigrant
Detention in New Mexico* presented by the Dignity Not Detention Coalition
of New Mexico. Our Speakers are *Sophia Genovese, *Managing Attorney for
the Asylum and Detention Programs and *Alondra Reyes, *Policy and
Partnerships Manager: New Mexico Immigrant Law
Center.

With over 200 ICE facilities across the country, the United States has the
largest immigration detention system in the world. The U.S. immigration
system often results in the detention of those apprehended by Customs and
Border Protection or Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they
await removal proceedings. Over time, this system has expanded and
incorporated harsher measures, resulting in the growth of the detained
population in ICE custody.

New Mexico has three Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention
facilities, including Cibola County Correctional Center (Cibola),
Torrance County Detention Facility (Torrance), and Otero Processing Center
(Otero). These three facilities negatively impact not just those detained
but our entire community by profiting off of the dehumanization of
non-citizens. Previously and currently detained non-citizens from all three
facilities have expressed suffering and/or witnessing excessive use of
force and inadequate subsequent care, sexual abuse and assault, use of
solitary confinement, lack of medical and mental health care, lack of
access to legal information and resources, and other inhumane treatment.
New Mexico has witnessed deaths caused by medical neglect and suicides due
to these conditions.

The Dignity Not Detention Coalition in New Mexico is actively working
towards joining other states like California, Illinois, Maryland, New
Jersey, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington, in the passing of the Dignity Not
Detention Act, an intergovernmental services agreement ban aimed to
prohibit public entities from entering into contracts to detain people for
civil immigration violations. Our ultimate goal in passing this bill is for
the New
Mexico legislators to attempt to build a more humane immigration system and
turn away from destructive economies harming all residents.

Whether you’re an activist, ally, or simply curious about the detaining of
non-citizens, we encourage you to join us for this enlightening discussion.
Let’s stand together to protect our rights, promote equality, and build a
more inclusive society for all.

Our speakers’ biographies:

*Sophia Genovese (she/hers/her)*

*New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC)- Managing Attorney for the Asylum
and Detention Programs*

Sophia Genovese is the Managing Attorney for the asylum and detention
programs at the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center. Sophia is also the legal
expert for

the Dignity Not Detention bill at the New Mexico State Legislature which,
if passed, would prohibit state public entities from participating in the
civil immigration

detention of asylum seekers in New Mexico. Prior to joining NMILC, Sophia
founded a pro bono detention representation program in New York State,
focusing her

practice on the intersection of law and organizing. Before that, she was a
Staff Attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center, providing direct
representation to

detained immigrants in rural Georgia. Sophia is a frequent speaker and
lecturer on detention representation, border policies, and community
lawyering. She graduated f

rom Brooklyn Law School in the 2-year accelerated JD program, and summa cum
laude from Whittier College.

*Alondra Reyes (she/hers/her)*

*N**ew Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) - Policy and Partnerships
Manager*

As a proud first-generation Mexican American, Alondra has been and
continues to work in direct legal services and community-led advocacy
fighting for immigrant

rights. She began at the NMILC in 2021 after interning her senior year of
college. She has worked in various capacities and departments within the
organization and

now is focused on passing and educating community members on pro-immigrant
policies. Currently, Alondra is focused on the passing of the Dignity Not
Detention

Act, aimed to stop the detaining of immigrants in New Mexico.

Alondra graduated cum laude from the University of New Mexico in 2021 with
a double Bachelor’s in Spanish and Psychology. She previously worked as a
UNM

Service Corp Researcher for PB&J Family Services, where she led research
aimed to understand the relationship between familial poverty,
incarceration, and/or

addiction on pre-school students’ access to and success in academia. She
also worked at the Bernalillo County Youth Services Center as a UNM Service

Corps Journalist, focused on leading education and research on creating and
maintaining alternatives to detention through supervision programs that
promote

education, healthy lifestyles, and positive choices for youth.
Additionally, she was also heavily involved in research focused on the
healthcare and education experiences of Latinx in the U.S. Lastly, she was
also a Research

Institute for Students of Equity Fellow (RISE) at the North Carolina
Central University where she focused on pursuing research on how Latinx and
Black, female-

identifying individuals utilize their cultural capital to succeed in higher
education. Alondra is committed to uplifting her community through
community-led advocacy.

*Zoom Invitation*
LWVCNM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Immigration - Beyond Detention Walls
Time: Dec 12, 2024 12:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88938008392?pwd=C9DQIAQlxB77kGgRT1wMSoaOFf8JLD.1

Meeting ID: 889 3800 8392
Passcode: 212729
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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcvyCZUOsn

League of Women Voters of Central New Mexico
6739 Academy Rd. NE  Suite 124
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109-3352
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