New Mexico bill allowing Native American ID designation dies
A bill that would have allowed tribal citizens in New Mexico to request an optional Native American designation on state-issued identification cards failed to advance before the legislative session ended Feb. 19, according to reporting by New Mexico In Depth. Senators debated the House bill for about 30 minutes before Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth said they would move on to other legislation.
Supporters said the designation would have helped tribal citizens prove U.S. citizenship if questioned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. “We’ve had instances in other states where Native people have been arrested by ICE and scrambling to figure out how they can get out of it to prove that they’re Native American,” Sen. Benny Shendo, D-Jemez Pueblo, was quoted as saying on the Senate floor. Co-sponsor Sen. Angel Charley, D-Acoma, said the proposal was brought at constituents’ request.
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