News & Commentary

A road sign showing the Rio Arriba county line with Lybrook elementary just beyond it.

Locked Out: When School Boards Exclude Native Representation

At a small school district in northwestern New Mexico, many Navajo parents cannot run for local school board or vote in the school district’s elections where their children go to school. 

Latest Press Release

Oct 16, 2025

People Incarcerated in Doña Ana County Jail Sue Over Violent Paramilitary Tactics and Inhumane Treatment 

Six people who were held at the Doña Ana County Detention Center (DACDC) filed a lawsuit today seeking to end the jail's practice of conducting violent, unwarranted paramilitary training operations on incarcerated people.
Body camera footage from March 8, 2025, when such training operations took place at DACDC. Various officers, masked and armed, are seen running into the quiet cells in the middle of the night.

More from the Press

Placeholder image

Stay informed on civil rights issues. Discover our latest actions and updates in the Press Release section.

A photo of Rita Padilla-Gutiérrez standing in front of her sign that reads: "Trump, racist, rapist, not my president"

More Than a Yard Sign: Fighting for Free Speech in Tomé, New Mexico

When Rita Padilla-Gutiérrez posted anti-Trump signs in her yard, Valencia County threatened her with criminal prosecution at the urging of a pro-Trump county commissioner.

By Rita-Padilla Gutiérrez

Dark blue collage image of GuJuan, featuring a recent photo of him along with a childhood picture in various color filters

Beyond the Concrete Box: Gujuan Fusilier’s Story

This blog is the third of a series based on interviews with three men currently held in the Penitentiary of New Mexico who are part of a class action lawsuit challenging the inhumane and unconstitutional conditions of New Mexico’s long-term solitary confinement unit.

By Lalita Moskowitz

Stylized image of plantiffs in front of a dark green background, a silhouette of a man sitting down on pavement looking distressed is centered in the photo stylized in green.

Beyond the Concrete Box: Human Stories from Solitary

This blog is the first of a series based on interviews with Mah-konce Hudson, GuJuan Fusilier, and O'Shay Toney, who are currently held in the Penitentiary of New Mexico.

By Lalita Moskowitz

Jun 13, 2022

ACLU Repro Rights Community Engagement Strategist Talks About the Status of Repro Rights in New Mexico

In this interview, we sat down with ACLU of New Mexico Community Engagement Specialist Dakota Waterson to get the run-down on reproductive rights across the country and New Mexico.

Protesters marching in Washington, DC, and carrying signs saying Abortion Is An Unalienable Human Right.
Jun 07, 2022

Border Patrol is Investigating Itself Following Deaths, Report Reveals

In a vehicle pursuit that killed our client’s son, a newly-uncovered report shows Border Patrol’s unauthorized, conflict-ridden Critical Incident Team are the lead investigators.

By Rebecca Sheff, ACLU National

An ACLU client looking at family photos.
May 17, 2022

Impending Threat of Abortion Criminalization Brings New Urgency to the Fight for Digital Privacy

As the Supreme Court nears a ruling that could allow abortion to be criminalized by politicians, privacy activists and lawmakers must shift our approach in the states.

By ACLU National

A protest sign that reads “My Body, My Business.”
May 13, 2022

Advocacy Groups Submit Records Requests Seeking Transparency in Troubled Torrance Detention Center

A government watchdog called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to immediately remove all people detained in the Torrance detention center

By ACLU-NM

A screenshot of surveillance video taken shortly before men detained at the Torrance County were pepper sprayed for engaging in a peaceful hunger strike protesting conditions at the facility. Surveillance and lapel video was obtained by NMILC and ACLU fro
May 12, 2022

Six Ways You Can Join the Fight for Abortion Rights

This is a perilous moment for our rights, but there are still ways to take action to support and protect abortion rights

By ACLU National

Protesters at an abortion rights rally in Washington DC.
May 11, 2022

To See the Future of Roe, Look to the States

We don’t know what the final opinion will look like, but here’s what we do know about abortion access nationwide.

By ACLU National

Protesters marching in Washington, DC, and carrying signs saying Abortion Is An Unalienable Human Right.
May 09, 2022

The Roe Draft Signals a Potential New Front in the Already-Raging War Against the LGBTQ Community

This isn’t a “they’re coming for us next” moment. They’ve already come for us, and the fight of our lives is here.

By ACLU National

Demonstrators with pro-abortion-and-LGBTQ signage.
Apr 26, 2022

You Have the Right to Record Law Enforcement Officers — Including at the Border

In a landmark settlement, the federal government was forced to concede that there is no border exception to this First Amendment right.

By ACLU National

A flag sits just north of a new section of the US-Mexico border structure
Apr 25, 2022

Trump’s Remain in Mexico Policy is at the Supreme Court. Here’s What's at Stake.

The Biden administration should be empowered to reject Trump-era policies and adopt those it believes are in the public interest.

By ACLU National

A migrant leans on a fence of the Gateway International Bridge that connects downtown Matamoros, Mexico with Brownsville, Texas.