I Was A Stranger and You Welcomed Me

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February 24, 2026

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2 min read

If America is a nation of immigrants, the same is doubly true for Santa Fe. Figures from the American Immigration Council indicate that until recently about fifteen percent of our total workforce, or 16,000 immigrants, reside in Santa Fe County, although this number likely declined last year as the state showed a net loss in migration.

The vast majority of our immigrant neighbors are here legally, with green cards, temporary protected status (like DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), or on a path to naturalization and citizenship. Yet the Trump administration has targeted even documented immigrants who come to our country “the right way,” profiling and arresting people on the basis of their employment (e.g. day laborers), because of the language they speak (e.g. accented English), or due to the color of their skin (non-white). Seventy percent of those deported by ICE last year had no criminal conviction.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many immigrants in Santa Fe are traumatized: afraid to leave their homes to shop for groceries, afraid to send their children to school, afraid to go to work or attend church on Sunday.

Come learn the facts at Immigration in Santa Fe: the Current Climate, an informational forum featuring Jessica Aguirre of Contigo Immigrant Justice (formerly the Santa Fe Dreamers Project) and Ivan Cornejo of Adelante, a program supporting the success of kids in school experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Refreshments will be served.

Monday, March 2, 5:30 - 7:30 pm, St. John’s United Methodist Church, 1200 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, NM

This event is free and open to the public, sponsored by the Santa Fe Faith Coalition, a partnership of churches including First Presbyterian, Christ Lutheran, the Open Circle, St. John’s Methodist and the United Church of Santa Fe, all dedicated to serving “the stranger in our midst.”