News & Commentary
Kesley’s Legacy: Why No Detention is Safe
After three long years of litigation, the private prison company CoreCivic paid a settlement to the wrongful death estate of Kesley Vial, a 23-year-old Brazilian asylum seeker who died by suicide while in ICE custody at the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) in Estancia, New Mexico, in August of 2022.
Latest Press Release
Mar 02, 2022
Three Key Problems with the Government’s Use of a Flawed Facial Recognition Service
Forcing people to use private ID-verification to access tax accounts or other government services raises serious privacy and equity issues.
Feb 22, 2022
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
Feb 17, 2022
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.
Feb 14, 2022
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.
Feb 11, 2022
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
Feb 08, 2022
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
Feb 04, 2022
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
Feb 02, 2022
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.
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