New Mexico’s largest immigration detention facility is over capacity and holding hundreds of people without criminal records, according to U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez. Vasquez found the Otero County Processing Center “bursting at the seams” with over 1,100 detainees in a facility designed for 1,089 people, with more than 80% having no criminal charges or convictions, […]
Author Archives: Kevin Hendricks, nm.news
Kevin Hendricks is a local news editor with nm.news. He is a two-decade veteran of local news as a sportswriter and assistant editor with the ABQ Journal and Rio Rancho Observer.
Posted inNew Mexico, NM State Gov.
Governor plans special session to shield New Mexicans from federal budget cuts
More than 760,000 New Mexicans who rely on Medicaid and food assistance could face benefit cuts or stricter requirements under federal legislation, prompting Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to consider calling lawmakers back to Santa Fe as early as late August. The governor is “likely to call a special session, possibly in late summer or early […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico
Sen. Luján leads Democratic push to reverse health care cuts affecting 89,000 New Mexicans
Up to 89,000 New Mexicans could lose their Medicaid coverage and six to eight rural hospitals could close within 18 months under Republican health care cuts that Sen. Ben Ray Luján and Senate Democrats are now trying to reverse through new legislation. Luján led Senate Democratic leadership Wednesday in introducing the “Protecting Health Care And […]
Posted inEducation, New Mexico
New Mexico schools receive $44 million in released federal funds
This report is supported by NM Political Report, a nonprofit newsroom working to increase New Mexicans’ engagement in politics and public policy. Reported by: Rodd Cayton This report is original reporting by a New Mexico-based independent journalist with support NMreports.org and its readers and sponsors. The Trump Administration’s decision to reinstate nearly $7 billion in […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico
Trade policy uncertainty stifles New Mexico manufacturing growth
New Mexico manufacturers are sounding the alarm about how federal trade policies and tariffs are damaging their bottom lines and threatening the state’s economic growth, according to discussions held Monday with U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez. During a July 28 roundtable meeting in Sunland Park, plant managers and business leaders from Santa Teresa’s manufacturing sector told […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico
New Mexico senators join broad Democratic push for Gaza humanitarian aid expansion
New Mexico’s U.S. senators joined the vast majority of their Democratic colleagues Tuesday in pressing the Trump Administration to dramatically expand humanitarian aid to Gaza and resume diplomatic efforts to end the war between Israel and Hamas. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján signed onto a written letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
Albuquerque honors cycling educator killed in hit-and-run with facility renamings
Albuquerque honored the memory of a beloved cycling safety educator Monday by renaming two city facilities that embody his life’s work, a tribute that resonates deeply in a city where bicyclists face significant safety challenges. The community bike hub that Chuck Malagodi helped create is now officially the “Chuck Malagodi Esperanza Bicycle Safety Education Center,” […]
Posted inEducation
Students head back to APS in August, but 70% of classrooms won’t have A/C
As Albuquerque students head back to class on Aug. 7, many will face the same uncomfortable reality that has plagued the district for years: classrooms that can reach 80 degrees or higher, even when air conditioning systems are working properly. With just days until school starts, Albuquerque Public Schools cannot guarantee comfortable temperatures in the […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico
New Mexico senators demand transparency on rural health fund as hospital closures loom
New Mexico’s senators are demanding answers about how a $50 billion federal fund will be distributed to rural hospitals, as up to eight facilities in the state could close within 18 months due to sweeping cuts to healthcare programs. Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich joined 14 other Democrats in a letter to Centers […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, New Mexico
Snapchat faces legal battle in New Mexico over child exploitation allegations
Social media company accused of easing exploitation The State of New Mexico’s lawsuit against the parent company of Snapchat over allegations of enabling child exploitation is gathering steam. The lawsuit, filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in September 2024, accuses Snap Inc., the parent company of social media platform Snapchat, of designing its […]