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

ACLU Files Discrimination Charges Against Whole Foods Market

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By Micah McCoy

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Why Marriage Matters New Mexico - Suzie & Checky

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HUzbWcB0rA This video was produced for the Why Marriage Matters New Mexico campaign, an effort by the ACLU of New Mexico and E

By Micah McCoy

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ACLU Border Affiliates Oppose Border Enforcement Provisions in Senate Bill: Will Seek to Improve the Bill to Enhance Human and Civil Rights Protections

The ACLU Southwest Border affiliates, including the ACLU of California, issued the following joint statement in response to the Senate’s vote to proceed on immigration reform:

By Micah McCoy

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ACLU of New Mexico Applauds Historic Supreme Court Rulings on Marriage for Same-Sex Couples

“It has been a struggle for our family because in addition to not receiving the health insurance and other benefits other military families take for granted, the government considered me and my wife strangers,” said Jennifer Altamirano, Christina’s spouse. “If she were to be wounded, killed or captured in the line of duty, the military wouldn’t even let me know.”The ACLU of New Mexico, along with the national ACLU and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, filed a lawsuit on March 21 that seeks to clarify New Mexico’s law regarding marriage for same-sex couples. The lawsuit alleges that under New Mexico’s Constitution, committed and loving same sex couples should already be allowed to marry in our state. Should this suit prove successful, married same-sex couples in New Mexico would enjoy full federal marriage benefits now that DOMA has been removed.   ###

By Micah McCoy

Theo Crevenna, Long Time Board Member, Passes Away

Theo Crevenna, the ACLU of New Mexico's longest serving board member, has passed away. Born in Frankfurt,Germany in 1920, Crevenna fled from the Nazis to Switzerland with his mother during World War II and immigrated to the United States at age 19. After studying at UNM, Theo worked for the Organizatio

By Micah McCoy

Why Marriage Matters New Mexico - Ryan & Sal

Las Cruces resident Ryan Steinmetz and his partner of six years Salvador Adame talk about why they want the freedom to marry.

By Micah McCoy

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Why Marriage Matters New Mexico - Mike & Loretta Davila

Native New Mexicans and current Farmington residents Mike and Loretta Davila speak about their journey towards acceptance of their two gay daughters.

By Micah McCoy

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ACLU Demands End to Whole Foods’ "No Spanish" Policy

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico sent a letter to counsel for Whole Foods Market, demanding that the grocery store chain adopt a language policy that respects the cultural diversity of New Mexico and does not discriminate against Spanish-speaking employees. The ACLU of New Mexico sent the letter on behalf of their clients, Lupe Gonzales and Bryan Baldizan, who were singled out and disciplined for speaking Spanish to one another while at work. Gonzales grew up in the village of San Ysidro in Northern New Mexico speaking Spanish as her first language and Baldizan has spoken Spanish with his family in Mexico since he was a young boy. For both employees, Spanish is an important part of their identity.

By Micah McCoy

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APD, We Have a Trust Problem

By Isabel Slator Spring 2013 Communications Intern

By Micah McCoy

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