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


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.


A Family's Fight

Elisha Lucero had long suffered from persistent and intense migraine headaches, but it wasn’t until her car wreck she learned the true cause.

By Micah McCoy

A family's fght

Elisha Lucero was shot 21 times by BCSO deputies. Watch her sister speak out about that night.

The death of Elisha Lucero at the hands of BCSO deputies in 2019 was both tragic and preventable. Lucero, 28, was killed on July 21, 2019 when Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputies shot her 21 times. BCSO deputies were responding to a 911 call from family members who were concerned about her mental health and safety.

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Rejecting Racism in a Time of Crisis

This week I asked my wife not to go to Costco by herself for our weekly supply run. It had nothing to do with the fact that my spouse’s solo trips to Costco have a way of resulting in budget busting purchases of dubious necessity (“It was on sale!”), or the fact that Costco has turned into a post-apocalyptic thunderdome of toilet paper hoarders; I asked her to avoid going out shopping because in the current environment I am afraid someone will try to hurt her because of the way she looks. Because she is Asian.

By Micah McCoy

COVID-Page

Good Samaritan Brutalized by New Mexico State Police Speaks Out

“I was in fear for my life.”

Dametrio Maldonado is slammed onto a police cruiser by a state police officer during his horrific encounter after trying to assist a crashed motorist.

Abortion bans are an act of violence

Across the country, extremist lawmakers are passing unconstitutional abortion bans and restrictions that strip tens of millions of women of control over their own lives. As an avalanche of bans rips through the nation, New Mexico can’t afford to look the other way and pretend we aren’t on shaky ground.

By Ellie Rushforth

Abortion bans are an act of violence

Our vision for public safety in New Mexico

We all want to live in safe communities. But recycling the same failed policies from years past this legislative session is not the solution. Here’s our vision for achieving public safety in New Mexico.

CJR Vision

A Father's Nightmare

It was a parent’s worst nightmare.

By Micah McCoy

A Father's Nightmare

Taking down a culture of sexual abuse in NM prisons

Lisa Jaramillo was excited to take up a job in maintenance at the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in January of 2017. Whatever joy her job provided her quickly vanished.

By Katie Hoeppner

taking down a culture sexual abuse NM prisons

Fighting the Immigration Detention Machine

After security forces viciously beat him and threw him in jail for expressing opinions critical of the government, Raul Villegran* fled his native Cuba and made a harrowing journey through Central America and Mexico to seek asylum in the United States in early spring 2019.

By Micah McCoy

Fighting-The-Immigration-Detention-Machine