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


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

Diane came out as transgender only to face over 18 months of harassment at work before being fired

We, together with cooperating attorney Mark Chaiken of Virtue & Najjar, PC filed a lawsuit in the First Judicial District Court on behalf of Diane Roberts, a transgender woman who was discriminated against, harassed, and ultimately fired by ABF Freight Inc. after coming out as transgender.

By Raychel Sanner

Diane Roberts

"You can't say you love God and hate your neighbor"

An interview with Father Jim Lehman of Holy Family Church in Las Cruces

By Katie Hoeppner

Fr. Lehman

Quick to Judge

Selene was in an impossible situation. She couldn’t adequately defend herself, but with each plea she made to the judge for an interpreter he became increasingly hostile, accusing her of lying about her inability to follow the proceedings.

By Katie Hoeppner

Quick to Judge

Crossing the Line

The dark handheld camera footage shows a large group of people, mostly families clutching small children, blinded by the flashlights trained on their faces. Heavily armed men wearing fake law enforcement badges, ski masks, and camouflage uniforms bark orders to the frightened families.

By Micah McCoy

Crossing the Line Banner

A Pharmacist's Personal Views Shouldn't Stand in Between You and Your Healthcare Provider

Here we go again. After a certified nurse midwife prescribed misoprostol for her patient in preparation for an IUD insertion, she received a phone call from the pharmacist on duty asking for assurance that the medication wouldn’t be used for abortion because of his personal beliefs against it.

Elizabeth's Story

Rachael's Life Hung in the Balance Because of Someone Else's Religious Beliefs

No one should ever have to wait to receive the healthcare they need to save their life because of the religious beliefs of someone else. 

Rachael Lorenzo Story

Muslim Man Harassed While Praying at His Son's Grave

 

Nadheem video

No line to walk on ABQ panhandling law

In its recent editorial (July 29), the Albuquerque Journal suggests that in the wake of federal judge Robert C. Brack’s ruling that the Albuquerque “Pedestrian Safety Ordinance” violates the First Amendment, the city of Albuquerque can still somehow “walk the line” on safety and free speech.

By Micah McCoy

panhandling ABQ

Our client was refused an ASL interpreter, denying her the ability to effectively represent herself

Our client, Selene Alverio was denied an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter by the Bernalillo County Metropolitican Court and Judge Daniel Ramczyk during a November 2018 civil dispute hearing. Although Ms. Alverio requested an interpreter approximately two weeks before the hearing, which was well before the court’s deadline of forty-eight hours advance notice, as well as several times during her hearing, all of her requests were denied.

Selene-COver