Greg Cunningham Implied ICE Was Justified Using Violence In Public Spaces To Arrest Undocumented Immigrants Saying “We’re Going To Put Other People At Risk” And “There’s Going To Be Collateral Damage” To Customers, Employees, And Family Members

Cunningham Implied That Because ICE Agents Did Not Work In New Mexico Jails, They Were Justified In Arresting People “At Their Homes Or Where They Lay Their Head, And [...] At Their Place Of Employment”

Cunningham Argued That ICE Should Be Stationed In New Mexico Jails To “Vet” Arrests

VIDEO: February 2026: Cunningham Appeared To Blame ICE Arresting People At Home And At Work On New Mexico “Not Allowing ICE Agents Into The Jail.” CUNNINGHAM: “So I started trying to explain this to people when the mayor’s race was going on, when they were talking about immigrant friendly versus sanctuary, and the way it’s supposed to work is, and what people are not grasping is ICE was they used to be INS. ICE came after 9/11 when they reshuffled all their departments, but they had offices in the jails. They had an officer in the jail so as people were being arrested, they could vet those people. Were they arrested for violent crime? Was it there? Had they been arrested several times? And if they needed to be detained federally, they removed them right then, right there. They transferred them from the county jail to the federal detention facility, and they took them into the federal system. End of story. Well, New Mexico by not allowing ICE agents into the jail, and then you add in, we have no bail, so nobody stays in jail anyway. So, if someone that’s here illegally commits a violent crime, they’re arrested for it, they’re going to get right back out. And now the ICE agents have to go find this person. […] Now, ICE has to go find them. It’s hard to find people. Where are you going to find them? At home, at work. And if you find them at home, chances are what there’s going to be other people there. If you have to go find them at work, there’s going to be other employees there.” [Arik Kotkowski via YouTube, 27:15-28:33, 2/6/26] (VIDEO)

• VIDEO: March 2026: Cunningham Said Of ICE Agents In Jail, “We’re Splitting Hairs By Not Allowing ICE To Separate The Criminal Element As They Come Into Our Jails.” CUNNINGHAM: “You know, that’s we’re splitting hairs by not allowing ICE to separate the criminal element as they come into our jails, you are. And then, of course, with our no bail policy, nobody stays, stays in jail. So, they are federal officers are, and I say federal because a lot of departments are saying, well, we’re not going to help them enforce federal law. Well, we never did. That is not the Albuquerque Police Department’s job. That’s not the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s or even state police. That is for ICE and for federal officials to do. Now, federal law enforcement agencies have to go look for this person. And from someone that made a career out of finding people and watching people, you find them at their homes or where they lay their head, and you find them at their place of

employment. So, when we do that, we are naturally-- it’s self-evident. We’re going to put other people at risk. We have to do search warrants. We have to go through doors. We have to find them at work when there’s customers and other employees, and during that process, there’s going to be collateral damage. Of when you find someone at home, they’re not going to be the only one there, and some of those people are going to have the same immigration status as the guy you’re looking for, and then they get caught up in their collateral damage.” [Rio Grande Foundation via YouTube, Tipping Point New Mexico, 25:11-26:48, 3/17/26] (VIDEO)

VIDEO: February 2026: Cunningham Said ICE Agents In Jails Could “Vet” Arrests And Transfer People From The County Jail To Federal Detention Facilities. CUNNINGHAM: “So I started trying to explain this to people when the mayor’s race was going on, when they were talking about immigrant friendly versus sanctuary, and the way it’s supposed to work is, and what people are not grasping is ICE was they used to be INS. ICE came after 9/11 when they reshuffled all their departments, but they had offices in the jails. They had an officer in the jail so as people were being arrested, they could vet those people. Were they arrested for violent crime? Was it there? Had they been arrested several times? And if they needed to be detained federally, they removed them right then, right there. They transferred them from the county jail to the federal detention facility, and they took them into the federal system. End of story. Well, New Mexico by not allowing ICE agents into the jail, and then you add in, we have no bail, so nobody stays in jail anyway. So, if someone that’s here illegally commits a violent crime, they’re arrested for it, they’re going to get right back out. And now the ICE agents have to go find this person.” [Arik Kotkowski via YouTube, 27:15-28:33, 2/6/26] (VIDEO)

Cunningham Argued That ICE “Ha[d] To Go Find” Undocumented Immigrants “At Home, At Work” And “Where They Lay Their Head”

VIDEO: February 2026: Cunningham On ICE Arrests: “ICE Has To Go Find Them. It’s Hard To Find People. Where Are You Going To Find Them? At Home, At Work.” CUNNINGHAM: “Well, New Mexico by not allowing ICE agents into the jail, and then you add in, we have no bail, so nobody stays in jail anyway. So, if someone that’s here illegally commits a violent crime, they’re arrested for it, they’re going to get right back out. […] Now, ICE has to go find them. It’s hard to find people. Where are you going to find them? At home, at work. And if you find them at home, chances are what there’s going to be other people there. If you have to go find them at work, there’s going to be other employees there. So, you’re creating a situation where you’re putting the public in danger because ICE now has to do a search warrant, or at least in a restaurant, you’re creating a situation where there’s other people now in danger. Guns are going to be out. You’re going through doors. You’re going into people’s businesses. Once the scene is secured, hopefully nobody gets hurt. Now, there’s other people there. Now you’re a federal agent and there’s, let’s use the number five. There’s five people there that are here illegally.” HOST: “What are you going to do?” CUNNINGHAM: “They got to go, so they are collateral damage to a system that put ICE in the position where they have to go locate this person. If they would just go out, and I say [unintelligible] to people that are making decisions in our state, legislature, Senate, governor, mayor, city council on including all of those things, if they would allow ICE to do their job when they’re supposed to do it, they would actually eliminate a lot of what’s happening here, but I don’t think they want to do that.” [Arik Kotkowski via YouTube, 28:12-30:24, 2/6/26] (VIDEO)

VIDEO: March 2026: Cunningham On ICE Arrests: “From Someone That Made A Career Out Of Finding People And Watching People, You Find Them At Their Homes Or Where They Lay Their Head, And You Find Them At Their Place Of Employment.” CUNNINGHAM: “You know, that’s we’re splitting hairs by not allowing ICE to separate the criminal element as they come into our jails, you are. And then, of course, with our no bail policy, nobody stays, stays in jail. So, they are federal officers are, and I say federal because a lot of departments are saying, well, we’re not going to help them enforce federal law. Well, we never did. That is not the Albuquerque Police Department’s job. That’s not the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s or even state police. That is for ICE and for federal officials to do. Now, federal law enforcement agencies have to go look for this person. And from someone that made a career out of finding people and watching people, you find them at their homes or where they lay their head, and you find them at their place of employment. So, when we do that, we are naturally-- it’s self-evident. We’re going to put other people at risk. We have to do search warrants. We have to go through doors. We have to find them at work when there’s customers and other employees, and during that process, there’s going to be collateral damage. Of when you find someone at home, they’re not going to be the only one there, and some of those people are going to have the same immigration status as the guy you’re looking for, and then they get caught up in their collateral damage.” [Rio Grande Foundation via YouTube, Tipping Point New Mexico, 25:11-26:48, 3/17/26] (VIDEO)

Cunningham Repeatedly Implied ICE Operations Would Inevitably Result In Violence In Public Spaces, Saying “We’re Going To Put Other People At Risk,” “Guns Are Going To Be Out,” And “There’s Going To Be Collateral Damage”

VIDEO: March 2026: Cunningham On ICE Arrests: “When We [Find People], We Are Naturally-- It’s Self-Evident. We’re Going To Put Other People At Risk.” CUNNINGHAM: “You know, that’s we’re splitting hairs by not allowing ICE to separate the criminal element as they come into our jails, you are. And then, of course, with our no bail policy, nobody stays, stays in jail. So, they are federal officers are, and I say federal because a lot of departments are saying, well, we’re not going to help them enforce federal law. Well, we never did. That is not the Albuquerque Police Department’s job. That’s not the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s or even state police. That is for ICE and for federal officials to do. Now, federal law enforcement agencies have to go look for this person. And from someone that made a career out of finding people and watching people, you find them at their homes or where they lay their head, and you find them at their place of employment. So, when we do that, we are naturally-- it’s self-evident. We’re going to put other people at risk. We have to do search warrants. We have to go through doors. We have to find them at work when there’s customers and other employees, and during that process, there’s going to be collateral damage. Of when you find someone at home, they’re not going to be the only one there, and some of those people are going to have the same immigration status as the guy you’re looking for, and then they get caught up in their collateral damage.” [Rio Grande Foundation via YouTube, Tipping Point New Mexico, 25:11-26:48, 3/17/26] (VIDEO)

VIDEO: March 2026: Cunningham Said Of ICE Arresting Undocumented Immigrants, “We Have To Find Them At Work When There’s Customers And Other Employees, And During That Process, There’s Going To Be Collateral Damage.” CUNNINGHAM: “You know, that’s we’re splitting hairs by not allowing ICE to separate the criminal element as they come into our jails, you are. And then, of course, with our no bail policy, nobody stays, stays in jail. So, they are federal officers are, and I say federal because a lot of departments are saying, well, we’re not going to help them enforce federal law. Well, we never did. That is not the Albuquerque Police Department’s job. That’s not the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s or even state police. That is for ICE and for federal officials to do. Now, federal law enforcement agencies have to go look for this person. And from someone that made a career out of finding people and watching people, you find them at their homes or where they lay their head, and you find them at their place of employment. So, when we do that, we are naturally-- it’s self-evident. We’re going to put other people at risk. We have to do search warrants. We have to go through doors. We have to find them at work when there’s customers and other employees, and during that process, there’s going to be collateral damage. Of when you find someone at home, they’re not going to be the only one there, and some of those people are going to have the same immigration status as the guy you’re looking for, and then they get caught up in their collateral damage.” [Rio Grande Foundation via YouTube, Tipping Point New Mexico, 25:11-26:48, 3/17/26] (VIDEO)

VIDEO: March 2026: Cunningham On ICE Arrests: “When You Find Someone At Home, They’re Not Going To Be The Only One There, And Some Of Those People Are Going To Have The Same Immigration Status As The Guy You’re Looking For, And Then They Get Caught Up In Their Collateral Damage.” CUNNINGHAM: “You know, that’s we’re splitting hairs by not allowing ice to separate the criminal element as they come into our jails, you are. And then, of course, with our no bail policy, nobody stays, stays in jail. So, they are federal officers are, and I say federal because a lot of departments are saying, well, we’re not going to help them enforce federal law. Well, we never did. That is not the Albuquerque Police Department’s job. That’s not the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s or even state police. That is for ICE and for federal officials to do. Now, federal law enforcement agencies have to go look for this person. And from someone that made a career out of finding people and watching people, you find them at their homes or where they lay their head, and you find them at their place of employment. So, when we do that, we are naturally-- it’s self-evident. We’re going to put other people at risk. We have to do search warrants. We have to go through doors. We have to find them at work when there’s customers and other employees, and during that process, there’s going to be collateral damage. Of when you find someone at home, they’re not going to be the only one there, and some of those people are going to have the same immigration status as the guy you’re looking for, and then they get caught up in their collateral damage.” [Rio Grande Foundation via YouTube, Tipping Point New Mexico, 25:11-26:48, 3/17/26] (VIDEO)

VIDEO: February 2026: Cunningham On ICE Arrests: “Guns Are Going To Be Out. You’re Going Through Doors. You’re Going Into People’s Businesses. Once The Scene Is Secured, Hopefully Nobody Gets Hurt.” CUNNINGHAM: “Well, New Mexico by not allowing ICE agents into the jail, and then you add in, we have no bail, so nobody stays in jail anyway. So, if someone that’s here illegally commits a violent crime, they’re arrested for it, they’re going to get right back out. […] Now, ICE has to go find them. It’s hard to find people. Where are you going to find them? At home, at work. And if you find them at home, chances are what there’s going to be other people there. If you have to go find them at work, there’s going to be other employees there. So, you’re creating a situation where you’re putting the public in danger because ICE now has to do a search warrant, or at least in a restaurant, you’re creating a situation where there’s other people now in danger. Guns are going to be out. You’re going through doors. You’re going into people’s businesses. Once the scene is secured, hopefully nobody gets hurt. Now, there’s other people there. Now you’re a federal agent and there’s, let’s use the number five. There’s five people there that are here illegally.” HOST: “What are you going to do?” CUNNINGHAM: “They got to go, so they are collateral damage to a system that put ICE in the position where they have to go locate this person. If they would just go out, and I say [unintelligible] to people that are making decisions in our state, legislature, Senate, governor, mayor, city council on including all of those things, if they would allow ICE to do their job when they’re supposed to do it, they would actually eliminate a lot of what’s happening here, but I don’t think they want to do that.” [Arik Kotkowski via YouTube, 28:12-30:24, 2/6/26] (VIDEO)