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.

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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

Jul 21, 2021

Secretary Mayorkas Pledged to End His Agency’s Anti-Immigrant Abuses. Here’s What He’s Delivered.

As he approaches the sixth month anniversary of his confirmation, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ progress report is mixed.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during news conference with a U.S. Homeland Security flag behind him.

Jul 14, 2021

How America Disguised 65,000 Prison Beds

Alternatives to incarceration often replicate the same problematic technologies that fostered mass incarceration.

By ACLU National

Clean lawn and tidy oak trees in front of an apartment complex

Jul 12, 2021

At End of SCOTUS Term, Where Are We on LGBTQ+ Rights?

The Supreme Court took action on three cases directly affecting LGBTQ+ rights, and now the term is over. One of the rulings may well turn out to be a watershed moment in trans rights, while the other two suggest that the court has reached a stalemate

Photo of the Supreme Court Justices in black robes as composed October 27, 2020.

Jul 06, 2021

President Biden Can Prevent Over 4,000 People From Being Sent Back to Prison

If President Biden allows thousands of people to be sent back to federal prison, he would be presiding over the fastest expansion of the federal prison population in history.

An empty cell block in a prison with tables and blue doors.

Jun 29, 2021

Cruelty and Coercion: How ICE Abuses Hunger Strikers

A new report from the ACLU and Physicians for Human Rights details ICE’s abuse and retaliation against people who initiate hunger strikes in immigration detention.

By ACLU National