The decision came Friday after a discussion about whether the resolution should be passed in its current state. After a vote of 3-16, the resolution failed in the Senate.
The resolution sought to gain ASUNM as a cosponsor in order to get representation from the University when it is sent to state and national leaders.
The resolution was introduced by the UNM Dream Team, a student club that supports immigration reform and provides assistance for immigrant students and their families.
It proposed that “ASUNM support federal immigration reform to provide undocumented immigrants with a pathway to citizenship” and to call upon President Barack Obama, the New Mexico State Legislature and UNM President Bob Frank to take action.
Senators pushing the resolution believe ASUNM could make a difference in the immigration debate, Senate Representative Nadia Cabrera said.
“It’s not about fixing the immigration system,” she said. “We all know it’s broken and there is nothing we can do about it right now, but it’s about getting our voices out there.”
Cabrera said she believes showing ASUNM’s support for immigration reform and calling upon officials locally and nationally to take action could be powerful.
“We are a part of a larger movement. There are already three other schools that have passed a resolution like this,” she said. “Maybe NMSU and other schools in the area will follow.”
Other senators expressed concerns about the resolution.
Some thought that if the resolution passed, it wouldn’t represent the whole undergraduate population of students represented by ASUNM.
“I think it’s really hard to put our statement of this when we are representing students, when there is such a wide array of students and their opinions,” Sen. Kaitlyn Loafman said.
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Aydan Sparks is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
