GUEST COLUMN: Let's not tie the hands of our protectors

Imagine if a lightning strike sparked a fire in the Carson National Forest near Taos, but when local firefighters attempted to respond, the state stepped in and declared that their job was not to put out fires on federal land. What sense would that make? Doesn’t responding quickly and controlling the blaze help keep us all safe?

Now, imagine that this is not about firefighting, but about law enforcement.

Several New Mexico public safety officers are currently under scrutiny — and may even face penalties from the New Mexico Ethics Commission —f or reporting the whereabouts of convicted criminals out on probation to federal immigration authorities.

But again, doesn’t collaboration between local, state and federal law enforcement help keep us all safe? If we wouldn’t limit our local firefighters’ ability to put out a fire on federal land, why does the state limit local enforcement’s ability to apprehend federal criminals?

It shouldn’t matter who’s in the White House. And it shouldn’t matter whether a criminal is an immigrant or not. If someone is threatening the safety of our families and communities, we should want our protectors in law enforcement to intervene.

Let’s not tie the hands of our protectors. Let's instead free them up to do everything in their power to safeguard our communities. After all, that’s what they swore an oath to do — to keep us safe by upholding the constitution and laws of New Mexico and the United States.