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This story was originally published by Source NM.
By Patrick Lohmann
The federal immigration raid at a dairy farm in Eastern New Mexico last week tore families apart, damaged trust and “undermined our shared values of compassion and justice,” according to Somos Un Pueblo Unido, a statewide immigrant advocacy organization.
According to a social media post from Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, the agency executed a search warrant at the Outlook Dairy Farms in Lovington on June 4, arresting 11 people accused of misuse of visas, permits or other documents.
The owner of the dairy farm told the Albuquerque Journal that the people arrested provided him false paperwork and that, following an audit before the raid, he’d been required to fire 24 other workers at the farm.
In a statement Monday morning, María Romano, coordinator of the Lea County office of Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said that the raid undermines New Mexico’s economy, which relies heavily on immigrant workers who are “powering industries from dairy farms to oil and gas.”
“The individuals targeted in this raid are our neighbors, coworkers and friends, many of whom have lived here peacefully for years, contributing to our economy and enriching our culture,” Romano said. “These
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