FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 15, 2025

MEDIA CONTACTS: 

Hector Fong | [email protected]  

Bethany Khan | [email protected]

Manuel Santamaria | [email protected] 

Nevada Immigrant Coalition Calls on NV Legislature to Pass Community Transparency, Safe Zones, and Data Protection

Link to Livestream Part 1 & Part 2 

BROLL and photos here

Las Vegas, NV––  On Saturday, November 15th, community members and advocates from the Nevada Immigrant Coalition spoke up for the inclusion of measures that protect Nevadans, regardless of immigration status, at a community call and rally. Nevada communities demand urgent action from elected officials to keep families together and uphold due process in the state. 

“As the Nevada Legislature convenes for its 36th Special Session, the Nevada Immigrant Coalition urges lawmakers to implement laws that will protect all Nevadans regardless of their immigration status,” said Noé Orosco, Coalition Coordinator of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition. “At this moment, anything less than meaningful protections and substantive policies for immigrant and citizen Nevadans is insufficient for the crisis our community is facing. An interim study on immigration is nowhere near enough. It creates a façade and it does nothing to address the trauma happening right now. Our community feels the impact everyday when mothers are ripped away from their children and immigrant workers are disappeared, leaving Nevadan families vulnerable. When our communities are being kidnapped and families are destabilized, delaying action is not responsible governance, it’s moral negligence. We do not need studies to tell us more about what we already know. We urge Nevada’s elected leaders to include our priorities in the decisions being made now. We need to meet the moment, our communities are depending on you.”

“When these students no longer feel safe in our classrooms, in the very space that should be considered their second home, they start carrying worries far heavier than any teenager should, they carry concerns about family stability, financial hardship, separation from their loved ones, and disruption of their college and future plans.” said Maria Peña, high school teacher in Las Vegas. “How can we ask them to focus on their coursework when the leadership of this country has made schools, places of worship, and hospitals vulnerable and accessible to ICE after cancelling the Department of Homeland Security order that prevented this agency from enforcing in the above locations.”

“People shouldn’t have to be billionaires to have their voices heard in the halls of government,” said Athar Haseebullah, Executive Director of ACLU of Nevada. “My message to the Nevada Legislature is if you haven’t had the heartbreaking experience of telling a child that their dad isn’t coming home because ICE picked them up, or comforting a frightened mother who has been separated from her children, then legislators should listen to the people they serve. In working-class communities like ours, we must protect everyone: Immigrants, mixed-status families, and those racially profiled, not just the wealthy who already have influence.”
“Rural communities and working people who were not able to travel to the legislative building in Carson City or in Las Vegas, feel like their voices do not matter with the lack of accessibility and transparency – and that’s unacceptable,” said Rico O’Campo, Organizing Director for Make the Road Nevada and Nevada Immigrant Coalition Steering Committee Member. “We will remember who stood on our side during this special session and those who did not. “

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition urges lawmakers to implement laws that will protect all Nevadans, regardless of their immigration status, and is advocating for the inclusion of the following measures in any bill passed during the 36th Special Legislative Session.

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, such as federal financial aid.

*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.

###

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.
Get updates from the Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) on Instagram and Twitter (X).