ICE Arrests Workers at Albuquerque Construction Site
Viral videos show agents detaining people at a southwest Albuquerque site, as attorneys push for statewide limits on local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Immigration
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ICE agents arrested at least one person at a southwest Albuquerque construction site near Coors and Sage, according to viral videos and a KOB 4 visit to the area. Immigrants' rights attorneys told a state committee that the state's policies on local agency cooperation with federal immigration authorities need to be tightened.
Why it matters
The raid and the rise in statewide arrests highlight the gap between New Mexico law, which bars formal agreements between local agencies and ICE, and informal cooperation that remains legal. Residents and workers in Albuquerque are directly affected as enforcement activity increases.
Attorneys testified that ICE arrests statewide rose from 20 in July 2024 to more than 700 in July of this year, a figure drawn from their own counts rather than an official federal release. The Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed details of the Albuquerque raids.
The players
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
The federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement within the interior of the United States, whose agents carried out the reported Albuquerque arrests.
Department of Homeland Security
The cabinet-level federal department that oversees ICE and was asked by KOB 4 for details on the raids but has not responded.
KOB 4
Albuquerque's NBC affiliate television station, which visited the construction site and sought comment from federal authorities.
The details
Witnesses said some construction workers ran from agents and were caught, while others went into homes under construction and were arrested. A separate video shows ICE agents at a bakery, and KOB 4 has asked federal authorities for details on both operations.
Timeline
July 2024: 20 ICE arrests statewide in New Mexico
Last week: Nearly 10 ICE vehicles entered the Albuquerque construction neighborhood
Last week: Attorneys testified before the state Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee in Santa Fe
July of this year: More than 700 ICE arrests statewide in New Mexico
Legal Context
New Mexico's statute prohibits formal agreements between local law enforcement and ICE but permits informal cooperation, a gap the attorneys say has widened as enforcement activity has grown. Their testimony to the state committee frames the arrest increase as a reason to revisit that line.
Workers and residents in areas with active enforcement may face sudden detentions at job sites and homes under construction. Anyone with questions about their rights during an enforcement action can seek guidance from local immigrants' rights organizations.
The takeaway
Enforcement activity in New Mexico has grown sharply, and the gap between what state law forbids and what agencies do informally is now the central question for lawmakers. Watching how the Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee responds will show whether that gap gets closed.
Further reading
For more on how immigration enforcement is playing out across local communities, see Immigration.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOB.
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