DHS offers $1,000 to immigrants without legal status who self-deport- Ariana Figueroa, Source New Mexico
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that the agency will provide $1,000 in what it called “travel assistance” to people in the United States without permanent legal status if they self deport.
It’s the latest attempt by DHS to try to meet the Trump administration’s goal of removing 1 million migrants without permanent legal status from the country. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem touted the option as cost-effective.
“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” Noem said in a statement. “This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens and is a 70% savings for US taxpayers.”
It’s unclear from which part of the DHS budget the funding for the travel assistance is coming, as it would roughly cost $1 billion to reimburse up to $1,000 to meet the goal of removing 1 million people.
DHS did not respond to States Newsroom’s request for comment.
President Donald Trump gave his support for the move Monday afternoon, according to White House pool reports.
“We’re going to get them a beautiful flight back to where they came from,” the president said.
Self-deportation would be facilitated by the CBP Home app, which was used by the Biden administration to allow asylum seekers to make appointments with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The payment would apparently not be made in advance. DHS said that once those who use the app to self deport arrive in their home country, they will receive a travel stipend of $1,000.
According to DHS, the Trump administration has deported 152,000 people since taking office in January. The Biden administration last year deported 195,000 people from February to April, according to DHS data.
DHS said already one migrant has used the program to book a flight from Chicago to Honduras.
“Additional tickets have already been booked for this week and the following week,” the agency said in a statement.
The Trump administration has rolled out several programs to facilitate mass self-deportations, such as a registry to require immigrants in the country without legal authorization to register with the federal government.
Immigrants who don’t register with the federal government could face steep fines and a potential prison sentence.
20 attorneys general ask federal judge to reverse deep cuts to US Health and Human Services- Rebecca Boone and Amanda Seitz, Associated Press
Attorneys general in 19 states and Washington, D.C., are challenging cuts to the U.S. Health and Human Services agency, saying the Trump administration's massive restructuring has destroyed life-saving programs and left states to pick up the bill for mounting health crises.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Rhode Island on Monday, New York Attorney General Letitia James said. The attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia signed onto the complaint.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. restructured the agency in March, eliminating more than 10,000 employees and collapsing 28 agencies under the sprawling HHS umbrella into 15, the attorneys general said. An additional 10,000 employees had already been let go by President Donald Trump's administration, according to the lawsuit, and combined the cuts stripped 25% of the HHS workforce.
“In its first three months, Secretary Kennedy and this administration deprived HHS of the resources necessary to do its job,” the attorneys general wrote.
Kennedy has said he is seeking to streamline the nation's public health agencies and reduce redundancies across them with the layoffs. The cuts were made as part of a directive the administration has dubbed, “ Make America Healthy Again.”
HHS is one of the government's costliest federal agencies, with an annual budget of about $1.7 trillion that is mostly spent on health care coverage for millions of people enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid.
James, who is leading the lawsuit, called the restructuring a “sweeping and unlawful assault” that would endanger lives.
“This is not government reform. This is not efficiency,” James said during a press conference Monday.
The cuts have resulted in laboratories having limited testing for some infectious diseases, the federal government not tracking cancer risks among U.S. firefighters, early childhood learning programs left unsure of future funds and programs aimed at monitoring cancer and maternal health closing, the attorneys general say. Cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also have hampered states' ability to respond to one of the largest measles outbreaks in recent years, the lawsuit says.
“This chaos and abandonment of the Department’s core functions was not an unintended side effect, but rather the intended result,” of the “MAHA Directive,” they said. They want a judge to vacate the directive because they say the administration can't unilaterally eliminate programs and funding that have been created by Congress.
The restructuring eliminated the entire team of people who maintain the federal poverty guidelines used by states to determine whether residents are eligible for Medicaid, nutrition assistance and other programs. A tobacco prevention agency was gutted. Staff losses also were significant at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The Trump administration is already facing other legal challenges over cuts to public health agencies and research organizations. A coalition of 23 states filed a federal lawsuit in Rhode Island last month over the administration's decision to cut $11 billion in federal funds for COVID-19 initiatives and various public health projects across the country.
Albuquerque BioPark building new endangered wolf facility- Cathy Cook, Albuquerque Journal
People living next door to the Albuquerque botanic gardens might hear howling wolves in their neighborhood come winter.
The ABQ BioPark is increasing its capacity to care for and breed endangered Mexican gray wolves with a new behind-the-scenes facility near the botanic garden and adjacent to the bosque. The BioPark has been working on Mexican gray wolf conservation since 1976.
“We want to be champions of New Mexico conservation, and the wolf is a keystone species here. It’s iconic,” said BioPark Director Brandon Gibson.
Seven of the endangered wolves call the zoo home, and 79 wolf pups have been born at the BioPark. The last litter of wolf pups was born at the zoo in 2020. The BioPark has a main wolf exhibit and two back holding areas.
The five-acre area will have several layers of fencing and three foot cement dig barriers. The initial habitat fence is under construction, and the facility is slated to be finished in August, said Lynn Tupa, BioPark associate director.
The $3.3 million facility is being funded by $400,000 from Fish and Wildlife and money collected from a gross receipts tax, which was approved by voters in 2016. The amount collected through the city-based tax varies depending on Albuquerque’s economy. The BioPark anticipates collecting $22 million this fiscal year, Gibson said, but a few years ago it was $16 million.
The wolf facility will have five large pens that could be further divided into eight holding pens, potentially allowing the zoo to house four to eight breeding pairs. Captive breeding of the wolves is carefully coordinated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and other zoos to ensure any wolf pups born have adequate space and can potentially be released into the wild.
Fish and Wildlife has a cross fostering program where pups born in captivity are introduced to a wild litter of pups in the experimental population area, which straddles central New Mexico and Arizona, to help grow the wild wolf population.
“They’re finding it’s more successful that way than introducing adults, because adults, it takes a skill to learn how to hunt and kill. They get the natural learning from the ground up,” Tupa said.
Logistically, it’s easier to move wolf pups from the Albuquerque BioPark to the experimental population area than from other breeding zoos like the Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Tupa said.
The new facility is away from the public, because even hearing human voices can taint a wolf’s ability to succeed in the wild, Tupa said.
The holding pens will also provide more space for the BioPark to care for injured wolves. The BioPark’s veterinary team has treated four wild wolves since December. The most recent was a yearling female wolf who had been trapped in a leghold. Ranchers sometimes leave leghold traps for coyotes that the endangered wolves can inadvertently be caught in, said the BioPark’s head veterinarian Dr. Carol Bradford. The wolf’s leg had to be amputated.
“Amputated wolves have done successfully in the wild. They hunt in a pack, so they have their friends and family helping them hunt, and they’ve even reproduced after amputation,” Bradford said.
Unlike animals who call the zoo home, wild animals have to be released quickly, and balancing the need for speedy treatment with medical care can be a challenge.
“We understand the biologists’ need and desire to get them out as soon as possible, so that their pack doesn’t move on, or so that they’re not too accustomed to people,” Bradford said.
The yearling wolf was brought to the zoo in mid-March and was back in the wild by March 25.
“I love taking care of BioPark animals, but to be part of conservation projects and to contribute to a critically endangered species and to help them survive, to me, that’s extremely fulfilling and rewarding,” Bradford said.
Indigenous people raise awareness about their missing and murdered - By Michael Warren, Associated Press
Indigenous people across North America are calling this week for sustained responses to the violence in their communities, much of it against women and girls.
In prayer walks, self-defense classes, marches and speeches at state capitols, they are pushing for better cooperation among law enforcement agencies to find missing people and solve homicides that are among about 4,300 open FBI cases this year.
Some parents say they will use Monday's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day to make sure children understand what's at stake.
Many young women are covering their mouths with bright red handprints, vowing to speak for those who have been silenced. According to the U.S. Justice Department, Indigenous women are more than twice as likely to be victims of homicide than the national average.
What 'the talk' means to Indigenous people
Lisa Mulligan, of the Forest County Potawatomi, carries this message when she rides her motorcycle from Wisconsin to rallies out West. She plans to give her two granddaughters "the talk" as they grow older about what they statistically might encounter in their lives.
She will warn them that her father was killed and another relative was a victim of sex trafficking.
"That's why I ride for it," Milligan said. "I don't want it to happen to anyone else."
Christina Castro, of Taos Pueblo in New Mexico, has a 12-year-old daughter. Navajo Nation citizen Joylana Begay-Kroupa has a 10-year-old son. They also have shared anguished reality checks, hoping to protect their children and foster change.
"Indigenous people don't have the luxury about NOT talking to our daughters about violence against girls. I've had to talk with my daughter since birth about bodily autonomy," said Castro, who co-founded the advocacy organization 3 Sisters Collective in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The collective is hosting self-defense training and speeches at the Arizona capitol, and showing part of the documentary "She Cried That Day," about the 2015 unresolved death of Dione Thomas, a Navajo woman.
Self-defense classes also will start soon at the Phoenix Indian Center, a social services hub for Indigenous people.
"I always go into auntie mode. You automatically want to protect your nieces and your nephews and your children," said Begay-Kroupa, the center's chief executive. "Unfortunately in Indigenous communities, we've seen this type of suffering occur over and over again."
She said she doesn't hold back information when speaking with her young son.
"We have relatives that have gone missing, and we just don't know where they're at," Begay-Kroupa said. "He wants to understand why, where'd they go and what happened to them."
Yaretzi Ortega, a 15-year-old from the Gila River Indian Community who wore the red handprint Saturday, said Native Americans need to speak up every day. It's a message she understood when she too got "the talk."
"People need to be aware at a young age because it could happen to them," Ortega said. "'The talk' is an acknowledgment of how Native American women and children have often been targeted. They have to be aware of the risks."
Indigenous men aren't immune. Donovan Paddock, who joined an awareness walk Friday in Scottsdale, Arizona, said two of his uncles were killed. His grandfather Layton Paddock Sr., a Navajo Code Talker, was found dead months after going missing in Winslow.
"My passion now is to help those that can't find their loved ones," Paddock said.
Years of advocacy have produced slow results
Some tribes have invited federal teams to lead simulation exercises showing what to do if someone goes missing.
Fully implementing Indigenous Alerts as part of state AMBER Alert systems will require more resources and coordination with the 574 federally recognized tribes, Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty said.
Tribal alerts only recently became eligible for federal funding, and tribes had to lobby the Federal Communications Commission before Apple upgraded iPhones to accept them, Crotty said.
Pamela Foster, a Navajo woman, has been a strong advocate since the delayed response to the 2016 kidnapping and murder of her daughter, Ashlynne Mike. Several years later, 76% of the tribes responding to a survey said they were participating in state alerts, but some state coordinators said they still didn't even have tribal contact information.
The Trump administration in April announced a surge of FBI resources to 10 field offices to help the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Missing and Murdered Unit and tribal police prepare cases for prosecution.
The 2023 "Not One More" recommendations commissioned by Congress no longer appears on the Justice Department website, but still can be seen at the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. In it, former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland noted over 84% of Native American men and women experience violence in their lifetimes.
___
Associated Press journalist Matt York in Scottsdale, Arizona, contributed to this report.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates resilience and culture of Mexican people - By Fernanda Figueroa, Associated Press
Cinco de Mayo festivities are taking place across the U.S. with music, tacos, tequila and colorful displays of Mexican culture — even if they're not always the most authentic.
The day falls on a Monday this year, meaning the bulk of the celebrations took place over the weekend. In California, a state with a large Mexican American population, there was a mix of art displays, classic car shows, parades and food truck offerings.
In Austin, Texas, events included an opportunity for children to get their photo taken with characters from the Disney animated musical "Encanto," which is itself a celebration of Mexican culture. A luncheon with speakers talking about the significance of the Mexican holiday and Mexican Americans in Austin was planned for Monday.
Here's a look at the celebration and its roots:
What the day celebrates
Cinco de Mayo marks the anniversary of the 1862 victory by Mexican troops over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla. The triumph over the better-equipped and much larger French troops was an enormous emotional boost for Mexican soldiers led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza.
In Mexico, historical reenactments are held annually in the central city of Puebla to commemorate the victory. Participants dress as Mexican and French troops, and as Zacapoaxtlas — the Indigenous and farmer contingent that helped Mexican troops win.
In the United States the date is seen as a celebration of Mexican American culture, stretching back to the 1800s in California. Festivities typically include parades, street food, block parties, mariachi competitions and baile folklórico, or folkloric ballet, with whirling dancers wearing bright, ruffled dresses and their hair tied with shiny ribbons.
Latino activists and scholars say that disconnect in the U.S. is bolstered by the hazy history of Cinco de Mayo, and marketing that plays on stereotypes that include fake, droopy mustaches and gigantic, colorful sombreros. The day often is mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, which is in September.
It's not all about tequila and tacos
For many Americans with or without Mexican ancestry, the day is an excuse to toss back tequila shots and gorge on tortilla chips, nachos and tacos.
The celebrations in the U.S. started as a way for Mexican Americans to preserve their cultural identity, said Sehila Mota Casper, director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation.
"Since then we've seen a shift to more commercialization and commodification and mockery over the years," Mota Casper said. "I think that has a lot to do with the commercialization of products and especially Latino heritage."
Mota Casper encourages people to learn about that day in history and its importance in Mexico.
Jacob Troncoza, 49, said he celebrates Cinco de Mayo in his household because he's proud of his Mexican ancestry.
"I try to make sure that the kids understand what it's about, which was the revolution, the war, and the battles that our grandfathers fought on," said Troncoza, who was born in east Los Angeles.
Others, like Andrea Ruiz don't because her Mexican dad never did. But she noted what she deemed the irony in widespread celebrations.
"I think it's funny Trump … and all of his supporters want to get Mexicans out, call them criminals, but then on Cinco de Mayo, they want to go and eat tacos and drink tequila," the 23-year-old Ruiz said.
Political rhetoric
Since returning to the White House, Trump has continued to label Mexican immigrants as criminals and gang members. He's also sought to end birthright citizenship, renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and ended the federal government's diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Trump acknowledged Cinco de Mayo during his first term, posting on X, "Happy #CincoDeMayo!" and "I love Hispanics!" as he sat with a "taco bowl." In the last presidential election, data showed more young Hispanic men moved to the right and voted for Trump.
It's unclear if the current administration will acknowledge Cinco de Mayo — designated a holiday in Mexico but not in the United States. The Associated Press sent an email to the White House Press Office late Friday seeking comment.
Trump's handling of immigration remains a point of strength as he ramps up deportations and targets people living in the U.S. without legal status, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. While Trump's actions remain divisive, there's less of a consensus that the Republican president has overstepped on immigration than on other issues, the poll found.
Organizers of Chicago's Cinco de Mayo parade said they canceled it because the city has become a target for immigration agents.
___
Associated Press writer Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Burro racing wins over runners in backcountry ode to mining history - By Morgan Lee, Associated Press
Backcountry runners are embracing the physical and emotional challenge of racing with pack burros that don't always move at their pace.
Burro races honor Old West history and hinge on a delicate partnership between runner and beast of burden. Burros, a Spanish-derived word for donkeys and their wild cousins, must carry a saddle, pick, pan and shovel in homage to a bygone era and the mythical sprint by miners to a land claims office with their pack animal.
Some 70 teams tested their skills Saturday in a race winding through the historic, turquoise-mining town of Cerrillos in northern New Mexico. Runners led burros by rope on 6-mile (10-kilometer) and 3-mile (5-kilometer) courses on unpaved roads and single-track desert trails.
More ambitious burro races in Colorado can extend for nearly 30 miles (48 kilometers).
Racers often buy or inherit burros from owners who run out of money, time or patience. Others adopt burros that were corralled by the federal government to prevent overpopulation. Novices easily can rent an ass to try it out for kicks.
Quick start to the race
The race in Cerrillos, which provided the rugged backdrop in the 1980s Western "Young Guns," started with a madcap sprint as competitive teams galloped to the front of the pack, and other burros instinctively attempted to keep pace.
Runners can't ride the burro but can push, pull and coax the animal as long as they don't abuse it. Some racers swing a rope in circles — like a lasso — to encourage movement. Others on the trail cry out, "Hup, hup!"
Joe Polonsky of Monument, Colorado, took up burro racing in 2018. He described himself as a mediocre ultramarathon runner, but in burro racing he is a top contender.
"I am fortunate because Jake does like to be up front at the start of the race," Polonsky said about his four-legged partner. "So I will let him pull me."
Burros wear a halter, which is less restrictive than a horse's bridle and bit, attached to a 15-foot (4.5-meter) rope held by the runner. Some racers tether the rope to their waist and draft off the burro.
Marvin Sandoval of Leadville, Colorado, and his mini burro named Buttercup finished first Saturday, completing the longer course in just over 49 minutes. Hundreds of cheering spectators lined the street, and the nearest competitors were out of sight.
The secret to his racing success, Sandoval likened Buttercup to a unicorn: "She wants to be out front, she climbs really well."
Burros are cautious, not stubborn
A burro race can devolve into a contest of wills when the animals get defiant and won't budge.
But experienced racers say that doesn't mean the donkeys are being stubborn. They are smart and naturally curious animals. When they sense danger, discomfort or the unknown, they lock down in place, unlike horses that quickly flee.
"If something scares them and they're nervous, they're going to just stop and assess the situation," Polonsky said.
Healthy donkeys typically live 40 years or more and vary in size from waist-high "minis" that may weigh 300 pounds (135 kilograms) to bulky "mammoths." Burros first appeared in the region more than 400 years ago, led from Mexico City by Spanish settlers and Catholic friars.
For those who rent or borrow a burro for the race, they are encouraged to show up early or even the night before to get acquainted with their racing buddy, not unlike a blind date, said Lisa Kazmar, a massage therapist from Edgewood, New Mexico, who owns four burros with names taken from Harry Potter novels.
"You don't know what the new donkey is going to do. It can be very scary," Kazmar said.
Modern race circuit
Burro racing emerged shortly after World War II in depopulated Colorado mining towns and now is an official state-heritage sport with marquee races in Leadville, Buena Vista and Fairplay that blend county-fair cheer and athleticism.
The pun-loving Western Pack Burro Ass-ociation manages the modern race circuit that extends from the Tombstone Donkey Dash in Arizona to a Weekend at Burney race in Cassel, California, and a new "burro stampede" this year in the Magdalena Mountains of New Mexico. Tennessee got in on the action five years ago with a race held annually in April.
Race and team sponsors include veterinary clinics, as well as brands selling sneakers, hydration drinks and beef jerky.
At Cerrillos, the teams competed for Western belt-buckle trophies, including a "last ass" award for the final finisher.
Success in racing doesn't come easy, according to Shane Weigand of Edgewood, New Mexico, a construction manager, burro race organizer and backcountry outfitter for burro-pack trips and "tequila-burro" weddings.
"You have to spend a lot of time on the trail with your burro, building up that relationship and trust," he said.
__
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the first name of Marvin Sandoval.
‘We all deserve better’: New Mexico marches for workers, immigrants- Danielle Prokop and Austin Fisher, Source New Mexico
Several thousand people took to New Mexico streets Thursday evening, in marches and community gatherings — complete with paletas and protest signs — in celebration of workers, expressing solidarity with immigrants and others targeted by the Trump Administration.
“We’re not going to let them destroy our workforce, we’re going to protect our kids, and we are going to show them that we are here to stay,” said Fabiola Landeros, community organizer on immigration for El Centro, repeating herself in Spanish to the crowd. Both events in Santa Fe and Albuquerque were bilingual.
Approximately 100 people gathered outside the St. Bede’s Episcopal Church in Santa Fe on Thursday evening to rally against U.S. President Donald Trump’s mass deportations and disappearances and celebrate the immigrant workers’ rights movement in New Mexico.
Another couple thousand people marched in the streets of Albuquerque after a rally at Tiguex Park, stretching the full length of a city block.
Thursday was International Workers Day, also known as May Day, a holiday directly born from the fight for workers’ rights in the U.S. sparked by the demand for the eight-hour workday. The U.S. has long refused to officially recognize the holiday, but rallies, demonstrations and protests took place across the country as part of a national day of action, including in several additional New Mexico locales.
The gathering in Tiguex opened on a somber note, with neighbors of Nhon Ngoc Nguyen, a 58-year old Vietnamese national who died in ICE custody on April 16, speaking out, holding signs with his photo. Nguyen, who had dementia, was detained during a Feb. 24 appointment with ICE in Albuquerque.
A statement from his nephew, Duke Nguyen, was read out, memorializing his uncle’s love of soccer and his affection for his nieces, who remained in Vietnam.
“With this, I say we remember Nhon as someone who will be deeply missed, but never forgotten — for the person he was and the impact he had on those around him,” the statement concluded.
Ruling: East Central bookstore must remove encampment or face hefty fine- Albuquerque Journal
A hearing officer ruled that Quirky Used Books must remove a homeless encampment from its parking lot in two weeks or pay a fine of $1,500 to the city of Albuquerque.
In the written ruling issued Thursday, City Hearing Officer Ripley Harwood stated he would only impose fines tied to one of several ordinance violations brought against the bookstore, that which prohibits camping on public property, including the use of tents.
Harwood dismissed the other violations, which involved weeds and litter and outdoor storage.
The dispute dates back to July 2024, when Quirky Used Books began allowing 18 unhoused people with 12 tents to stay in the store’s back parking lot at 120 Jefferson NE, just north of Central. After the city received various 311 complaints — at least one from a neighboring business — Code Enforcement issued the violations, leading to an administrative hearing on Monday.
Gillam Kerley, owner of Quirky Used Books, said he was “disappointed” the hearing officer could not rule on whether the violations aligned with the New Mexico Constitution. Harwood said, in his decision, that he considered constitutional arguments “to be outside the scope of my review.”
In his ruling, Harwood said the case is not about the rights or risks of homeless people occupying public property, but rather “a case about the limits of the rights of private property owners to the allowable uses of their property.”
Kerley said he will be seeking a stay on the enforcement of the ruling pending an appeal to the 2nd Judicial District Court.
He said they were appealing to get a ruling “on whether the New Mexico Constitution’s right to seek and obtain safety and the right to preserve one’s property essentially outweigh the language of the zoning code.” The bookstore owner added that he does not expect the decision to be reversed during the appeal.
The city was pleased with the ruling.
“We’re happy with the decision because it moves Quirky Books towards remediation, which is what we always wanted,” said Tim Walsh, public information coordinator for the city of Albuquerque Planning Department. “We just want them to come into compliance and hopefully this will get them there.”
The city plans to stay in contact with the bookstore to ensure they come into compliance. Code Enforcement has another hearing pending with Quirky Used Books over similar violations, but said they will drop the case if Quirky Used Books comes into compliance in the next two weeks. A hearing on that matter has not been scheduled yet.
Kerley said he was glad the hearing officer did not agree with a majority of the proposed violations, including the accusation of litter and filth in the parking lot.
In his ruling, Harwood left a glowing review of Kerley’s character, calling him an “altruistic idealist.”
“Were the world full of idealists such as Gillam Kerley, humanity would likely solve the broad-based societal problems without the need for the blunt instrument of government,” Harwood wrote. “The reality is that Quirky Books cannot solve the enormous public problem of the homelessness and in trying to do so, they have merely caused other harms. The homeless problem is for governments to solve.
U.S. Sen. Luján calls out Trump order on NPR, PBS- Julia Goldberg, Source New Mexico
“Unlawful” and “illegal” is how U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján on Friday described President Donald Trump’s May 1 executive order eliminating funding for NPR and PBS.
Entitled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,” the order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease current and future direct and indirect funding “consistent with my Administration’s policy to ensure that Federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage.” It also directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary to determine whether PBS or NPR “(or any successor organization)…are complying with the statutory mandate that ‘no person shall be subjected to discrimination in employment . . . on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.’ In the event of a finding of noncompliance,” the order continues, “the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall take appropriate corrective action.”
Luján, the ranking member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, said in a statement the “unlawful” order, signed “in the dark of night,” will “strip New Mexicans of vital access to public programming that educates, entertains, and keeps us safe. For decades, NPR and PBS have delivered news, entertainment, and much more to New Mexicans, especially in rural and Tribal communities. Public media, like NPR, PBS, and their local affiliates, provide critical information to New Mexicans in all corners of the state — including during disasters and emergencies when our rural communities rely on public media the most.”
Moreover, Luján’s statement noted, “this illegal executive order is an attempt by President Trump to strip New Mexicans of vital public services that thousands rely on day-to-day. The President is disregarding CPB’s authority and working to prevent New Mexicans from accessing free news, educational programming, and emergency alerts. Defunding NPR and PBS will leave New Mexicans in the dark when they need information the most.”
Local NPR affiliate KUNM General Manager Richard Towne, in a statement provided to Source, agreed with Luján’s characterization of the order, writing:
“In my view, the EO does not have the legal basis for enforcement. This is because CPB is an independent non-profit corporation, not a government agency. The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 protects CPB against political meddling through Congressional funding for two years of funding.”
Towne notes that the CPB is currently funded by Congress “with White House approval” through Sept. 30, 2027, so Trump’s executive order bypasses Congress.
Trump’s order impacts approximately $540,000 in CPB funding for KUNM over the next two years, he said. For public radio and television together, the impact is more than $11 million over the next two years, he noted, adding: “This is not chump change.”
New Mexico PBS General Manager and CEO Franz Joachim sent Source a similar comment, also noting that Trump’s EO “is a clear violation of the 1st amendment and the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, which created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as a firewall against federal interference how our federal funding is used.” Federal funding of public media, he added, “is essential and irreplaceable. Government should fund the free distribution of information that saves lives and changes lives.
Towne also shared a letter he received Friday afternoon from CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison that says while Trump’s executive order “is concerning, we believe it has no effect on CPB, since CPB is not a federal agency subject to the President’s authority.” As such, “CPB will not be adding any additional conditions or restrictions on our Community Service Grants. Payments will continue to go to our grantees per their grant agreements.”
Harrison’s letter also noted that a few days prior to the executive order, the Trump administration “sent emails to three members of CPB’s Board of Directors stating they are fired effective immediately. We immediately filed a lawsuit to say the Administration has no authority to terminate any of CPB’s board members. A U.S. District Court Judge ruled in favor of holding a hearing on our motion for a temporary restraining order, which seeks to block the president’s actions until the case can be fully heard. The hearing is scheduled for May 14.
That being said, Harrison acknowledged rumors that the administration intends to try to pull back $1.1 billion from CPB’s forthcoming budget,. The CPB board met Friday to discuss these issues.
“I am proud of the resilience and dedication I have seen across the system,” Harrison’s letter concludes. “Your efforts ensure that public media remains a cornerstone of our shared democracy. Together, we will navigate these challenges, guided by our shared commitment to service, education, and community.”
NM marriage licenses more than doubling this summer- Leah Romero, Source New Mexico
Money can’t buy you love, but it can get you a $55 New Mexico marriage license this summer.
New Mexico Marriage license fees will more than double next month from the current $25 fee thanks to Senate Bill 290, sponsored by Sen. Linda Trujillo (D-Santa Fe) during the legislative session held earlier this year. Out of the total new charge, the county clerk’s office keeps $20; another $20 will go to the state’s Children’s Trust Fund; and $15 will benefit each county’s general fund.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the bill on April 8 and the fee increase goes into effect on June 20.
According to the fiscal impact report, the fee increase is estimated to bring in an additional $195,000 in revenue each year – including about $32,500 for the Children’s Trust Fund, which currently receives most of its revenue from special license plate sales. The fund is administered by the Children, Youth and Families Department’s Family Services Division. Trust fund grants are awarded to “community-based organizations” throughout the state working to help prevent or treat child abuse and neglect.
Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin told Source NM that the marriage license fee has not increased since the 1990s, and previous efforts to pass an increase failed.
“This is my seventh year that I’m starting [as county clerk]. We have been pushing for an increase that was, I think, reasonable, but also would be impactful for each of the counties in terms of their funds,” López Askin said. However, she noted: “It’s not just about increasing revenue. It’s also about collectively supporting children across the state.”
New Mexico’s license fee will still be on the lower side, compared to neighboring states such as Texas and Arizona, which both charge over $80, according to the Doña Ana County Clerk’s Office. Doña Ana County Chief Deputy County Clerk Caroline Zamora said many people from El Paso, Texas travel to her office for marriage licenses because of the cheaper fee.
Concerns mount over Head Start programs for children- Leah Romero Source New Mexico
New Mexico officials say Head Start remains stable for now in the state amid mounting concerns about federal efforts to dismantle the program.
While Head Start funding has been an ongoing issue since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, recent reports that the Trump administration seeks its elimination have ramped up pushback.
On Monday, several Head Start providers and parent associations filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with Secretary Robert. F. Kennedy Jr., for unlawfully attempting to demolish Head Start programs and going against Congress’ mandate to operate such programs in the country.
“All parents deserve the opportunity to provide a better life for their children,” Candice Vickers, executive director of Family Forward Oregon, a plaintiff in the case, said in a statement provided by the ACLU. “Head Start gives children and families, including Black, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, Latinx, and immigrant children and families, a fair opportunity to work towards a better life. Taking this program away continues cycles of poverty and unfairly targets the children and families it was created to support.”
New Mexico Democrats U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján signed onto a letter this week, along with 40 other U.S. senators, to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “demanding” that the administration unfreeze funding to Head Start programs and “reverse” mass firing of program employees. Luján frequently comments on his time in Head Start as a child, and points out that he is one of two Head Start graduates to serve in the U.S. Senate.
“Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year,” the letter reads. “It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.”
The letter also points to a statement made by the National Head Start Association in February, which claimed that programs in 23 states that were awarded federal grants were having problems accessing the money. The association projects more programs have been impacted in the following months.
New Mexico, according to the state Early Childhood Education and Care Department’s February 2025 fact sheet, has 2,233 funded Early Head Start slots for New Mexico children and 5,457 funded Head Start slots. Programs provide accessible childcare and prepare children up to 3 or 4 years of age from low-income families to enter school successfully. Programs also provide meals to children and access to community resources for families at no cost.
Thus far, they remain unaffected, officials told Source.
“New Mexico Head Start programs are still able to access funds, and we have had no reports of interruptions. We have been in close contact with our Head Start programs to ensure that services continue without disruption,” Julia Sclafani, spokesperson for New Mexico’s early childhood department, told Source NM in a written statement. “We are monitoring developments regarding the proposed closure of regional Head Start offices and any potential federal funding cuts.”
And while the future of Head Start programs is uncertain at this time, Sclafani added that “the State of New Mexico remains firmly committed to supporting early childhood services, including maintaining access to Head Start programs for children and families.”