News & Commentary

Micah McCoy, Communications Specialist We face an epidemic here in the United States: a widespread and wholesale vilification of Americans who are followers of Islam. We see it on the cable news networks, in vitriolic opposition to the construction of mosques in our communities, and now, this week with

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Micah McCoy, Communications Specialist It's that time of year again: the New Mexico legislative session, where laws are made that affect every person in our state. No other time is more important for you to let your state senators and representatives know what issues you support. We've seen

Early this month, the Iowa Legislature heard testimony from 19 year-old Zach Wahls as it considered amending the Iowa Constitution to reflect the discriminatory views of an ever-shrinking percentage of the public by limiting the legal definition of marriage to a union between one man and one woman. Zach eloquently delivered his message as a student at the University of Iowa, an owner of a small business, and a successful son of two proud and loving mothers. In his brief address, Zach touched upon some of his most deeply-seated beliefs and most influential experiences that portray a compelling picture of everyday life in a family headed by a same-sex couple – a picture that would appear very familiar to families everywhere in almost every aspect. Zach and his family do have an alternative story, however. Due to statutory prohibitions on the freedom to marry, same-sex couples and families have long been denied the rights that many take for granted and could not imagine living without. Unfortunately, Iowa does not stand alone in its push for a Definition of Marriage Amendment (DOMA) – New Mexico is currently considering not one, but three separate DOMA bills in the 2011 Legislative Session (HJR 7 and SJR 4, which define marriage and HJR 8 that prohibits legal recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages). httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSQQK2Vuf9Q By amending the New Mexico Constitution to limit marriage to opposit

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LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Today, the ACLU of New Mexico Regional Center for Border Rights (RCBR) released the report Outsourcing Responsibility: The Human Cost of Privatized Immigration Detention in Otero County detailing inhumane detention practices in the Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, N.M. RCBR Program Coordinator Emily Carey, the report's author, compiled the information from numerous site visits and over 40 interviews with current and past detainees.

Bryan Gonzalez (right) at his Border Patrol Academy graduation. EL PASO, T.X. -- Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico (ACLU-NM) filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on behalf of a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent who was fired because of his personal political opinions. Plaintiff Bryan Gonzalez was an agent with two years of experience and excellent performance reviews when the Border Patrol terminated his employment after learning that G