News & Commentary

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.

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.

Oct 18, 2011

Moved to Reform: Immigration Detention Reform under the Obama Administration

Tania Chozet, Policy Advocate We recently reached the two-year anniversary of the Obama administration’s announcement that it would reform our country’s immigration detention system, moving from our current penal-based system of detention to a more humane system that is tailored to individuals who have only vio

By ACLU-NM

Oct 13, 2011

Freedman, Boyd, Hollander, Goldberg, Ives & Duncan, P.A.

The

By ACLU-NM

Oct 13, 2011

Rodey Law Firm

By Micah McCoy

Oct 03, 2011

Bernco Commissioner Michael Wiener Told You to Go to Hell...

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqkNS2BnXW0 I spoke on behalf of the ACLU at the commission meeting on Tuesday in support of a resolution that would prohibit county ceremonies from being held in places of worship. I told the commi

By psimonson

Sep 27, 2011

VIDEO: Border Patrol 100 Miles from the Border

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6unSfZUqbo&NR=1

By Micah McCoy

Sep 26, 2011

Support Bernalillo County Commission's Resolution Banning Use of Religious Buildings for Public Ceremonies

By Micah McCoy

Sep 22, 2011

A Reality Check from the Border

Vicki Gaubeca, Regional Center for Border Rights Director I am sitting in the basement of a church in rural New Mexico, fifty miles from the US-Mexico border. The woman across from me is wiping her tears with a handkerchief. Her two young sons sit next to her, staring at the floor. “I don’t know if I will ever see him again and I don’t k

By Vicki Gaubeca