A recently signed bill allows non-citizens in New Mexico to serve in law enforcement if they are authorized to work in the United States.
On April 7, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law Senate Bill 364, which allows people with work authorization from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to serve as sheriffs and police officers, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
Currently, only U.S. citizens can serve in those capacities, Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Franchesca Perdue said in a news release.
“The change will expand the pool of eligible law enforcement candidates and give more people opportunities to serve their communities as officers,” Perdue said.
Bill co-sponsor Sen. Cindy Nava, D-Bernalillo, said in a statement that SB364 is “more than a public safety bill.”
“It opens the doors for people like my brother Eric, a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient who dreamed of serving our community but was forced to leave New Mexico to do so,” she said.
