FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Friday, July 10, 2026

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Hector Fong | [email protected]

Bethany Khan | [email protected]

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition presented and shared immigration updates at NVLEG Interim Government Affairs committee

NIC continues to call on NVLEG to pass legislation to ban ICE from wearing masks and require agent identification, end 287(g) agreements, and protect the data for all Nevadans

*Link to Livestream*

Las Vegas, NV –  On Thursday, July 9th, the Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) presented before the Nevada Legislature’s Interim Committee on Government Affairs on the impacts of immigration enforcement on the state of Nevada and recommended policy priorities that will protect all Nevadans regardless of immigration status.

The Interim Committee on Government Affairs has 8 members (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, Senator Lisa Krasner, Senator Dina Neal, Assemblymember Lisa K. Cole, Assemblymember Tanya P. Flanagan, Assemblymember Bert K. Gurr, Assemblymember Duy Nguyen) and is chaired by State Senator Edgar Flores. 

While ICE was also slated to be present for the hearing, they evaded accountability and failed to show up to answer questions regarding the treatment of Nevadans detained at the Nevada Southern Detention Center.

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition highlighted the instability and trauma in the community caused by this administration’s mass deportation agenda and local collaboration with ICE that is resulting in Nevadans who are kidnapped, separated from their families, held in detention camps, and many who are ultimately deported out of the country. Community members shared stories of directly impacted Nevadans and how ICE has uprooted their lives in the community they call home resulting in violence and even death. 

“Nevada is the third most diverse state in the country”, said Noé Orosco, Coalition Coordinator of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition. “While immigration is largely a federal issue, state and local governments have the ability to control the enforcement environment and pass policies that will not only protect the rights of the 1 in 5 Nevadans who are immigrants but all Nevadans regardless of immigration status. Our communities are being forced to live further in the shadows and forgo essential services because of the fear that a masked ICE agent might kidnap them and separate them from their families and home. Protecting sensitive locations is crucial to preserve public safety and bring stability and dignity to our communities. We urge the Joint Interim Committee on Government Affairs and the broader legislature to prioritize the following policies during the 2027 legislative session: protecting sensitive locations, banning the use of masks, and banning 287(g) agreements in our state.” 

“Hospitality workers are living through what we call the Trump Slump. Chaotic trade and immigration policies have chilled travel and tourism, which means fewer hours, less tips, and hard conversations at kitchen tables. At the same time we’re seeing a deportation system that targets long time workers and tears families apart. If an ICE crackdown, like the one in my hometown of Minneapolis, hit the Las Vegas Strip, visitors simply would not come here. Two Culinary Union members, who were longtime employees on the Las Vegas Strip and legal permanent residents, got caught up in ICE’s deportation machine. Angel worked as a food server for 40 years, he was detained in early 2025 and deported to Mexico 6 months later. Sonny worked as a banquet server and was detained last year coming home from vacation abroad. He spent nine months in detention before being deported to the Philippines. Sonny described the detention facility as filthy, no medicine, inhumane food served like slop on dirty plates. He said that three of his friends inside took their own lives and he now lives with trauma, depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts,” said Bethany Khan, Spokesperson of the Culinary Union and member of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition steering committee.(timestamp) “In the next session, Nevada legislators must pass a law barring state and local law enforcement from entering or renewing 287g agreements with ICE, so our state stops putting workers like Angel and Sonny into a deportation and family separation system. Las Vegas is a hospitality‑dependent economy and we need policies that welcome visitors, respect workers, and strengthen our state, and the Culinary Union is going to keep organizing to protect families.”

“I stand here today for all the Nevadan families who are living in fear to urge you to hold ICE accountable to the people of Nevada,” said Maria Prentice, member of Make the Road Nevada (timestamp). “Olga is the devoted mother of three U.S. citizen children. Two of her children live with severe chronic disabilities that require constant medical care just to stay alive…Olga is forced to live with the constant fear that taking her children to the hospital could separate her from them forever. As an undocumented mother, every trip to a doctor’s appointment is filled with anxiety…Olga’s story represents the heartbreaking reality that Nevadan families are facing. Parents are delaying medical care, avoiding essential services, and living in constant fear because they fear that seeking help could tear their families apart. Nevadans deserve better. Our children deserve better. Every family, regardless of legal status, deserves to seek lifesaving medical care without fear, without intimidation, and without the constant threat of separation.”

“I am here today because I would like to urge you to ensure that reporting a crime never puts a victim at risk of deportation,” said Jonathan Aguilar, member of Make the Road Nevada (timestamp). “I am sharing my friend Miguel’s story today because he hasn’t broken any rules, but he’s a DACA recipient in fear of being detained today due to ICE being present in our streets. Miguel is a DACA recipient who has to meet every USCIS requirement to renew his work permit every two years, at a cost of $605. Despite that burden, Miguel graduated from college after finding a Dreamer scholarship that opened the doors he needed, and today he’s a nursing graduate living in Nevada. Miguel is a respected leader in our community and still lives with the fear that masked agents could find the opportunity to set him up for deportation. Nevadans like Miguel deserve to live free from fear of going outside due to a pending DACA renewal, which is being caused by our government. We urge you to protect the trust between our communities and the people meant to serve them, including our schools, hospitals, clinics, and our places of worship. ICE does not belong here.”

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition will continue to advocate for the below policies in future legislative sessions:

Community transparency: Mask ban & mandatory agent identification

*Prohibit any local law enforcement officers and the Nevada National Guard from wearing masks or face coverings when conducting public enforcement duties.

*Require all local law enforcement officers and the Nevada National Guard to clearly identify themselves when conducting public enforcement duties (name, badge numbers, and agency).

*Prohibit bail enforcement agents or other private individuals from engaging in immigration enforcement activities in Nevada.

Community safe zones: Protect sensitive locations from ICE enforcement 

*Prohibit immigration enforcement agents from conducting operations in sensitive areas without a judicial warrant, such as Public & Charter Schools, Higher Education Institutions, Hospitals & Health Facilities, Court Houses, daycare centers, and Places of Worship. 

*Require staff training and a clear internal process displayed for staff to follow.

Data protections: Personal data protections for all Nevadans

*Prohibit the collection and storage of immigration status information in any state database unless legally required for a public benefit.

*Prohibit state and local agencies from sharing personal information solely for ICE enforcement without a subpoena or the individual’s explicit consent.

*Prohibit micro-entrepreneurs’ and street vendors’ data obtained by state and local jurisdictions from being shared with federal immigration enforcement agencies without a subpoena.

*Require an annual public report on any immigration related data requests from the Federal government and/or data breaches that could have resulted in sensitive information being compromised.

*Immediate notification to all Nevadans when a state breach has occurred & their personal data has been compromised.

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The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC), led by the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN), Culinary Union, and Make the Road Nevada, with support from over 20 statewide partners, has mobilized in response to the surges in ICE activity in Northern and Southern Nevada.

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) urges members of the immigrant community to know their rights, have family preparedness plans in place, and be aware of ICE officers in plainclothes and unmarked vehicles. All Nevadans, regardless of immigration status, have rights and deserve due process.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS:

If ICE stops you . . .

*You can ask the officers if you are being detained, if you are not, then you are free to leave.

*You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer any questions regarding your immigration status, where you were born, or how you entered the United States.

*Do not physically resist a government official and do not run away.

*If you are 18 or over, and a non-citizen, an immigration officer may request to see your immigration documents.  If you have your documents, the law requires you to share them if you have them.

*If you do not have your immigration documents, you still have the right to remain silent and ask for an attorney.

*Do not provide false documents to officials.

If ICE comes to your home . . .

*In most circumstances, you are not required to open the door for ICE if they don’t have a judicial warrant. A Judicial warrant is a document that is signed by a judge.

*You have the right to remain silent and not answer any questions.

If ICE takes you into custody . . .

*You have the right to ask to speak with an attorney.

*You have the right to not sign any document that you do not understand. Even if the ICE officers are persistent and want to pressure you, do not sign.

*In certain cases, you can request to see the immigration judge. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to ask for bail to be released from custody.

*You have the right to request to contact your country’s consulate for help.

*If you have minor children, let the officers know that you are the parent or primary caregiver. ICE may “exercise discretion” and let you go.

To find loved ones who may have been detained: Search the ICE Detainee Locator.

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ABOUT THE NEVADA IMMIGRANT COALITION: 

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC), founded in 2006, ensures immigrant, refugee, and new American voices are heard at a local, state, and federal level to advocate for humane and fair immigration policies. The Nevada Immigrant Coalition focuses on strengthening a network that provides services, resources, and deportation defense to immigrants and refugees across the state while strategically organizing around issues that are important to all Nevadans. We believe in working towards a Nevada that welcomes, respects, and protects everyone regardless of their immigration status.

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