ACLU of New Mexico Supports Pueblo Nations in Defending Tribal Sovereignty

Albuquerque, N.M. — Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico voiced support for the All Pueblo Council of Governors and New Mexico’s 19 Pueblo Nations, which is opposing S. 5653, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA), for infringing on tribal sovereignty. Pueblo leaders were not consulted in drafting the bill, which would weaken Tribal consultation, shorten public comment periods, and strip tribal communities of their fundamental right to halt unlawful projects through the courts. It would also severely limit Tribes’ ability to protect their waters and diminish protections for sacred places and cultural resources.

The following statement can be attributed to Preston Sanchez, indigenous justice attorney at the ACLU of New Mexico:

“Indigenous Justice means the freedom of Indigenous peoples to govern themselves, protect their lands, and carry on the ceremonies, languages, and traditions that define who they are. Historically, U.S. law and policy have often been used against tribal nations to deplete tribal sovereignty, and BAAJA would continue that pattern. Any bill dictating the future of tribal consultation should be written only after consulting with tribal nations, including Pueblo leadership, but that was not the case here. As drafted, the bill makes consultation with Tribal Nations optional, narrows the meaning of “sacred sites” that tribes fight to protect, and makes it harder to go to court when those protections are ignored. It undermines Tribal sovereignty and the federal trust responsibility. By threatening the places Pueblo people still actively use for ceremony, from Mount Taylor and the Greater Chaco landscape to the Caja del Rio and the Rio Grande, this bill endangers Indigenous religious freedom and ways of life. We side with the 19 Pueblo Nations and urge Senator Heinrich to listen to New Mexico’s Tribes and Pueblos.”