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, […]
Category: Communities
Posted inLocal Gov.
Fire chief defends paramedic changes, disputes union claims
Albuquerque Fire Chief Emily Jaramillo is moving forward with her paramedic deployment plan, set to begin Aug. 23, and disputing union claims that firefighters have been shut out of the process. The changes come after a months-long tension between the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 244 and Mayor Tim Keller’s administration over how the […]
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 inGeneral Interest
ART security calls skyrocket, but actual violence plummets
Less than three weeks after a city bus driver fatally stabbed a passenger near Coors Boulevard, new data shows security calls to Albuquerque’s transit system have jumped 81% over the past year. The July 9 stabbing followed an argument on board that spilled onto the street. Surveillance video shows the 41-year-old driver pursuing the passenger, described as […]
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 inNob Hill & UNM
Albuquerque restaurant facing lawsuit for sexual harassment, retaliation
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Scalo Restaurant, alleging the Albuquerque establishment’s male managers sexually harassed female employees and then retaliated against workers who complained about the abuse. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, accuses the Nob Hill restaurant of allowing years […]
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 inHousing & Homelessness
Albuquerque mayoral candidates split on Trump homelessness order threatening $167M in federal funding
Albuquerque mayoral candidates are sharply divided over President Trump’s executive order threatening to cut off federal funding to cities that don’t enforce civil commitment laws for homeless individuals. Signed July 24, the order requires cities to prioritize involuntary treatment for people with mental illness or substance use issues and penalizes those that allow urban camping, […]
Posted inBernalillo County
Water district sets public meeting for farmers during centennial year
Bernalillo County farmers and irrigators who help fund most of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District’s operations will have a chance to hear updates on water management during a public meeting on July 31. The meeting, set for 9 a.m. at the South Valley Multipurpose Senior Center, comes as MRGCD celebrates its 100th anniversary while […]