For decades, the ACLU of New Mexico has worked alongside communities to defend civil liberties and expand the promise of the constitution. Today, with fundamental freedoms under intensifying attack and the stakes for our democracy higher than ever, that work has never been more urgent.
We built our earliest community ties through local volunteer chapters—neighbors organizing together to defend civil liberties close to home. Over time, that foundation evolved, as we began to build partnerships with community organizations around the state, mobilize a vast network of volunteers, and create digital platforms that expand who can participate and how. As we continue adapting to meet the current moment, we remain rooted in the belief that lasting change begins in community. We sat down with Executive Director Leon Howard to reflect on where our community advocacy began—and where it’s headed next.
Q: We're in an unprecedented moment for civil liberties. How is the ACLU-NM thinking about engaging across communities right now?
Leon Howard: We’re approaching community engagement with the urgency and clarity this moment demands. The threats to our civil rights and liberties are too sweeping for any of us to work in silos, so our strategy is rooted in bringing people together—community partners, grass roots organizations and organizers, ACLU members, new and longtime advocates, and every community member who cares about protecting their rights. This moment requires all of us, and we’re committed to organizing in a way that reflects that collective strength.
Q: The ACLU has always relied on community support. How has that relationship between the organization and community activists evolved over the years?
LH: In the 2000s, ACLU‑NM volunteer chapters were our primary way of staying connected to communities across the state. They took on a wide range of civil liberties work in their own backyards— everything from reading and flagging bills coming out of the Roundhouse, to monitoring jail conditions in their communities, to hosting public forums and know‑your‑rights events that kept people informed and engaged. This work was especially instrumental when the ACLU-NM was operating with limited staff, like a lot of affiliates across the country. We’re incredibly grateful for the vital role they played and the groundwork they laid for community building.
Over the last decade, we’ve begun engaging with communities in more direct and collaborative ways. We’ve built really strong relationships with partner organizations that hold long‑standing trust in their communities, working side‑by‑side with them in coalitions to advance major wins across immigrants’ rights, criminal legal reform, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. We’ve also embraced digital tools that help us mobilize more people, more quickly in diverse areas of the state. And we’ve grown a volunteer program that brings people directly into the work in meaningful ways. What we now have is a statewide ecosystem of advocates who are informed, connected, and ready to act.
We’ve built really strong relationships with partner organizations that hold long‑standing trust in their communities, working side‑by‑side with them in coalitions to advance major wins across immigrants’ rights, criminal legal reform, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.
Q: The ACLU-NM board recently made the decision to retire its chapter model. That's a significant change. What drove that decision?
LH: That’s right. As I mentioned, over the last decade, the way we connect with communities has changed. We’re now in direct, regular contact with partners, grassroots organizations, advocates, and volunteers across the state, and that shift has reshaped how we think about mobilizing community.
We’re also in a different environment right now. We’re living through the most dangerous assault on our civil rights and civil liberties in recent memory. In this climate, the board determined that bringing all volunteer work under a single statewide program would give us the clarity and coordination this moment demands — helping us respond quickly, stay aligned, and maintain strong visibility across New Mexico. So it’s about leaning into a model that matches the moment and strengthens the way we show up for people. But there’s still very much a place for former chapter members in this work through our volunteer program, where they can continue to make a real impact.
Q: Can you paint a picture of what community engagement looks like in practice for the ACLU-NM now?
LH: Community engagement looks like a lot of different things right now. We’re partnering with coalitions like CHISPA to safeguard and expand privacy protections, working with our ALL Safe partners to secure real investments in the root causes of crime and push back on harmful “tough on crime” proposals, and standing with immigrants’ rights organizations to advance the Immigrant Safety Bill, which will get New Mexico out of the business of immigration detention.
We’re inviting advocates to show up with us at community events, advocacy days at the Roundhouse, protests, court hearings, and more — and to take action digitally when that’s the fastest way to make their voices heard. Through our social media channels and online tools, we educate people about the work we’re doing and drive them to action forms where they can easily contact their legislators to support bills that protect civil rights and oppose those that threaten them. And through our volunteer program, we have an incredible team helping with events, community outreach, research, and whatever else the moment calls for. It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment and we’re galvanizing our communities in every way we can so we can show up together in every space where civil liberties are on the line.
Through our volunteer program, we have an incredible team helping with events, community outreach, research, and whatever else the moment calls for.
Q: How can someone who cares about civil liberties get involved today? What are the actual opportunities?
LH: First, we encourage everyone to sign up for our emails to get regular updates about the work we’re doing and the digital actions they can take to help safeguard our freedoms. Beyond that, we have two really great programs. The first is the volunteer program I’ve already mentioned— that’s for people who want to be in more of a driver’s seat, helping us set up and run events, table in the community, write letters and do donor outreach, conduct research, and take on special projects with staff. We also have our IMPACT Teams— groups of supporters, organized by issue area, who are ready to show up when the moment calls for it. If they get an urgent text, they’re the folks who will turn out for rallies and protests, town halls and public hearings, press events, and more. We have opportunities for everyone to get involved, whether small or large.
Q: Looking ahead to the next year, what are the priorities for ACLU-NM, and how will community members be part of that work?
LH: We’re focused on building a real firewall for freedom in New Mexico through litigation, political advocacy, and public education to protect the rights that are under the greatest threat. In the year ahead, we’ll be challenging unconstitutional laws in court, pushing for proactive legislation that strengthens civil liberties, and making sure people across the state understand what’s at stake and how to take action. Community members will be central to all of it, whether they’re showing up at the Roundhouse, joining our volunteer program, or sending emails to legislators. We need each and every person who cares about civil liberties in the fight with us.