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


Wrongful Death Case of Kesley Vial, 23-Year-Old Brazilian Asylum Seeker, Goes to Trial in New Mexico

Placeholder image

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

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

The Most Racist Supreme Court Cases You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Why does the Biden administration's Department of Justice continue to rely on cases that presume people in the territories are “alien races” composing “savage tribes”?

By ACLU National

A view of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Your Guide to Talking About Attacks on Trans Youth

Misinformation is fueling an attack on trans youth in state legislatures. These attacks overwhelmingly focus on youth and schools. They try to make being trans shameful — but they won’t stop youth from being trans.

A photo featuring activist, drag queen and tv personality Peppermint with the title Tough Conversations With Peppermint.

ACLU-NM Statement on SB 43

Yesterday, sponsors and advocates of Senate Bill 43, the Second Chance Bill, announced the removal of the bill from consideration in the New Mexico House of Representatives during the 2022 legislative session. SB 43 would have abolished juvenile life without parole in New Mexico and created early eligibility for parole for those serving long adult sentences for crimes committed as children. The bill would’ve brought New Mexico in line with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and with a growing number of states that have already passed similar legislation. 

Second Chance Bill

COVID cases are exploding at an ICE detention center in New Mexico

There have been 242 new COVID-19 cases at the Otero County Processing Center so far this year.

By Leonardo Castañeda

The Otero County Prison Facility, in Chaparral, New Mexico, operated by Management and Training Corp (MTC)

Four things you need to know about the pretrial detention bill

Among the slew of public safety bills New Mexico legislators are debating this session are HB 5 and SB 189, which would impose new pretrial release conditions and roll back voter-approved bail reforms in the state.

By ACLU-NM

Rebuttable Presumption

Questions and Answers About The Fines, Fees and Cost Payment Flexibility Bill

The Fines, Fees and Cost Payment Flexibility Bill (HB81), seeks to change how court fees are assessed and repaid so people working to rebuild their lives aren’t burdened with crushing debt or re-incarcerated simply because they can’t immediately afford their fees. Those fees, which are often used to fund government agencies, do nothing to improve public safety and often fall hardest on overpoliced Black and Brown communities already struggling with systemic racism and fewer job opportunities, resulting in lower incomes.

By Leonardo Castañeda

Fines and Fees Reform

The New Mexico Voting Rights Act: What You Need to Know

The fight for voting rights remains as critical as ever. Politicians across the country continue to engage in voter suppression, efforts that include additional obstacles to registration, cutbacks on early voting, and burdensome voter identification requirements. But in New Mexico we have a chance to turn the tide to expand and protect voting rights for all of us in passing the New Mexico Voting Rights Act. 

Voting Booths

Second Chance Bill: What it does, why it’s important, and how you can help

ACLU of New Mexico Staff Attorney Denali Wilson talks about the need for the Second Chance Bill in New Mexico.

Second Chance Bill

Internal Border Patrol checkpoints threaten New Mexico’s cannabis equity goals

The checkpoints could hinder the participation of businesses in Southern New Mexico in the state's legal cannabis industry.

By Leonardo Castañeda

Interior Border Checkpoints Threaten New Mexico's Cannabis Equity Goals