Two signs that read "We build this country together" and "our families have no borders"

A New Phase in Civil Liberties Advocacy: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going

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.

Latest Press Release


CoreCivic Pays Settlement to Estate of 23-Year-Old Asylum Seeker Who Died in Torrance County Detention Facility

The case addressed the TCDF’s systemic failures in its mental health care and CoreCivic’s extreme negligence, which resulted in Kesley Vial’s tragic and preventable death.
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Stay informed on civil rights issues. Discover our latest actions and updates in the Press Release section.

A house with ristras hanging on the porch in New Mexico.

The 2026 Legislative Session: Creating A Firewall for Freedom in New Mexico

As we approach the 2026 legislative session, our nation is facing unprecedented threats to our fundamental freedoms. But we aren’t powerless against these attacks.

We Are Defending Freedom in the Courts — And Still Winning

With 53 lawsuits filed against the Trump administration and counting, we will not surrender our freedoms to a lawless executive branch.

A group of demonstrators in Manhattan holding pro-democracy signage.

Five State and Local Entities Safeguarding Our Civil Rights

Governors, attorneys general, mayors, and other local officials are starting to vocally say no to President Donald Trump’s radical and dangerous agenda. Here’s why their roles are so crucial for our democracy and the state of civil liberties today.

A backward view of protesters.

2025 Legislative Wrap-up

As the dust settles on an incredibly challenging legislative session, we wanted to share our collective work over the past 60 days.

By Lena Weber

Stylized image of the Roundhouse in Santa Fe, NM

Behind Detention Walls: Leonel’s Story

By Rebecca Sheff, Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU of New Mexico & Zoe Bowman, Supervising Attorney at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center 

By Rebecca Sheff

Stylized image of Leonel and his family

Behind Detention Walls: Yofer's Story

Yofer Fernando Orozco-Herrera, from Barinas, Venezuela, dreamed of a career in public service. Instead, he was forced to flee his homeland in search of safety and opportunity.

By Rebecca Sheff

Stylized image of Yofer's personal family pictures

Behind Detention Walls: Junior's Story

Junior is one of the hundreds of people held on any given day in immigration detention in New Mexico. His experience illustrates the systemic abuses that plague these facilities.

By Rebecca Sheff

Stylized image of a group of Junior's childhood pictures inside polaroid frames

Behind Detention Walls: Why New Mexico Must Act

This summer, Colorado College students working with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and the ACLU of New Mexico sat down with people detained in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at the Otero County Processing Center.

By Rebecca Sheff

An image with immigrants and the statue of liberty and prison walls behind them.

How a Harris Administration Could Chart a New Course for Immigration Reform

The ACLU urges a potential Harris-Walz administration to deliver on its campaign promise to create a clear pathway to citizenship for longtime residents while also moving to end harmful detention policies and improve asylum access.

A graphic featuring Harris and imagery pertaining to immigration.

Mobilizing Against Texas' Dangerous Legislation with ACLU's Border Humanity Project

In this interview, our Border and Immigration Policy Advocate Leonardo Castañeda shares how the ACLU of New Mexico and the Border Humanity Project (a group of ACLU affiliates in New Mexico, Arizona, San Diego, Imperial Counties, Texas, and the ACLU National Office) worked together to issue a travel advisory in response to extremist laws passed by Texas lawmakers that target immigrants and people of color.  

By Carla Palacios

Texas Travel Advisory