FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) - A federal judge has given preliminary approval to a class action lawsuit settlement that would ban the San Juan County Detention Center from cooperating with federal authorities on immigration holds.
The Friday decision came as the Trump administration publicly shamed counties and cities that don’t cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The settlement is a result of a 2014 lawsuit filed on behalf of a New Mexico woman who was serving eight days in county jail and was held on an ICE detainer after she was supposed to get out.
The settlement bars the county from detaining inmates on behalf of ICE.
Some cities and counties have pushed back against cooperating with federal immigration authorities, saying doing so creates mistrust between the community and local law enforcement.
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