News & Commentary

Kesley Vial

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

Jul 1, 2026

Billboards Celebrate NM Civil Rights Act Fifth Anniversary

To commemorate the five-year anniversary of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act (NMCRA), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico has placed five billboards praising the landmark law across Albuquerque.
A billboard that says "The NM Civil Rights Act turns five. Justice never gets old" with a "Welcome to New Mexico" sign on it.

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

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New Mexico Must Keep Its Promise on Civil Rights

Five years ago, New Mexico made a promise. When our state passed the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, we declared that the rights guaranteed by the New Mexico Constitution meant something.
A graphic showing hot air ballons, a person holding their arms out towards a sunrise, and a sunset with painted clouds behind a silhouetted road sign.

The Case for Investing in New Mexico's Youth

The ACLU of New Mexico, along with partners, is prioritizing holistic solutions in juvenile justice — because we know these are the approaches that are safest and most effective for our communities.

Aug 23, 2021

What is Redistricting and Why Should We Care?

Here’s how 2020 census data could determine your voice in future elections.

By ACLU National

A map of the redistricting plan for the City of North Charleston.
Aug 15, 2021

Nine Years After DACA Went Into Effect, Congress On The Verge Of Passing A Path To Citizenship

A pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants is within reach. Congress must get it done.

A girl and her father stand with some 200,000 immigrants' rights activists flood the National Mall to demand comprehensive immigration reform on March 21, 2010 in Washington DC.
Aug 02, 2021

Title 42 Decimates Asylum Rights and Biden Should End It

Too often, our nation has learned who we don’t want to be from the mistakes of our past. Indeed, asylum laws were born of a shameful history — our government’s failure to shelter thousands of Jewish people fleeing state-sponsored persecution by the Nazi regime.

By Nayomi Valdez, Katie Hoeppner

Title 42 Op-Ed, Immigrants Waving American Flags
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

Woman holds sign that reads "Close the Camps" outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Portland
Jun 24, 2021

HCV Treatment in Prisons Today, Healthier Communities Tomorrow

Results of ACLU public records request reveal New Mexico is finally tackling the Hepatitis C epidemic

By Davida Gallegos

HCV Treatment in Prisons Today, Healthier Communities Tomorrow