News & Commentary
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.
Apr 09, 2019
ACLU-NM Staff Recaps the 2019 Legislative Session
The ACLU of New Mexico hosted a live stream on Monday morning discussing the 2019 legislative session in New Mexico.
Apr 01, 2019
Transgender Day of Visibility
March 31 is transgender day of visibility, a day to celebrate transgender people and raise awareness of the discrimination so many face.
Mar 28, 2019
Expungement Law Right for Formerly Incarcerated
Like many New Mexicans, I live with felony convictions dating back decades. Slightly more than 20 years ago, an Albuquerque police officer arrested me for taking an end table off of my neighbor’s sun porch and charged me with residential burglary — a third degree felony. I pleaded guilty and the judge sentenced me to 18 months in prison followed by five years of probation and two years of parole.
By Barron Jones
Mar 13, 2019
Setting the Record Straight on Expungement
This bill gets at some of the most important tools for fighting recidivism: access to good jobs, safe housing, and educational opportunities.
By Paul Haidle
Mar 11, 2019
Elaine Maestas speaks out
Elisha’s family was counting on Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputies to help her. Instead, they killed her.28-year-old Elisha Lucero’s mental health had declined since undergoing major brain surgery earlier in the year, and on July 21 her family called 911 after she began exhibiting erratic and dangerous behavior. They just wanted the first responders to escort her to the hospital for treatment. Instead, the responding deputies needlessly escalated the situation and shot her 21 times.
Mar 11, 2019
Albuquerque Journal Gets It Wrong: SB 196 Would Create Clarity, Not Chaos With Law Enforcement
Why creating a bright line between local police and federal immigration agents, would be a boon for law and order — not a cause for chaos.
By Peter Simonson
Feb 20, 2019
Governor Does Right by New Mexico's Border Towns
New Mexico has enjoyed a rare moment in the national spotlight as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham broke through walls both literal and metaphorical in a recent viral campaign ad she released earlier this month, shortly after announcing she would withdraw most of the National Guard troops ordered to the border by President Donald Trump last year.What was important about this moment for New Mexicans, e
By Nia Rucker
Feb 11, 2019
No Solace in Solitary: It’s Long Past Time to Reform New Mexico’s Over-Reliance On A Brutal Practice
Kelly Garcia left Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center nearly six years ago, but sometimes, in her dreams, she finds herself back in a familiar cell. She’s trapped by the same four concrete walls and that same long lonely silence which was pierced only by the occasional cries of inmates worn down by solitude.
By Katie Hoeppner
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