TUES: Proposed RENT Ordinance aims to rein in unfair rental practices-, +More
By KUNM News
June 10, 2025 at 6:57 AM MDT
Proposed RENT Ordinance aims to rein in unfair rental practices- Justin Garcia, Albuquerque Journal
The Albuquerque City Council is set to consider sweeping new rules that would overhaul the rental process citywide, aiming to protect tenants from hidden fees, housing instability and unresponsive landlords.
The bill, known as Renter’s Empowerment and Neighborhood Transparency (RENT) Ordinance, would enshrine several protections around almost every part of the renting experience. The bill addresses nearly all aspects of the rental process and would impact every landlord and renter in the city. Statistics from the American Community Survey show that about 44% of households in Albuquerque rent.
But it’s far from guaranteed to pass.
“I think that this council has proven in the past that they’re not interested in helping renters very much,” said Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who is sponsoring the bill on behalf of the mayor’s office. “But recently, we did get two pieces of tenant protections passed.”
Those two pieces were an ordinance mandating landlords provide cooling for tenants and a bill that created a code enforcement position to respond directly to renters’ issues.
The bill also faces opposition from landlord advocates.
“While the stated intent of this legislation may be to protect tenants, in practice, it burdens responsible landlords, increases operational and legal risk, and would discourage housing investment in Albuquerque,” said Alan LaSeck, executive director of the Apartment Association of New Mexico.
LaSeck went on to say the proposals ignore the realities of managing rental housing and would lead to reduced availability, higher costs and greater conflict.
“Rather than fostering cooperation between tenants and owners, they threaten to drive housing providers out of the market, shrinking our housing supply, increasing rents and worsening the very problem we’re trying to solve,” LaSeck said.
What's in the RENT Ordnance?
Shanna Schultz, policy and government affairs administrator for the city, said the bill comes at a time when Albuquerque continues to grapple with a housing crisis.
A 2024 Denver-based Root Policy Research report, titled “Albuquerque Region Housing Needs Assessment,” found a significant shortage of units for low-income renters. The same report found that residents were spending more than a third of their monthly income on housing and that occupied units, such as apartments and single-family homes, often had more residents than rooms available.
“I think we know that building more homes is essential, but that’s not enough on its own. It’s not the only tool in the toolkit,” Schultz said. “We also need to protect the people who are already living in homes.”
Schultz, who authored the policy proposal, noted that the bill’s transparency provisions were among its most significant changes.
The RENT Ordinance would require landlords to disclose all costs of a rental agreement in plain language in their published listings. That includes anything on a background check that could disqualify an applicant, as well as minimum credit score or income requirements.
“This can help renters avoid surprise charges and do things like budget more confidently, which is very important in this economy right now,” Schultz said.
There are several other key provisions, including those around repairs. The ordinance grants the tenant the right to arrange for necessary maintenance by a licensed and insured professional. The tenant can also deduct the cost of the repair from their rent payment or receive reimbursement from the landlord when the landlord fails to make a repair.
Landlords would also be prohibited from charging fees and additional rent for companion animals, defined in the bill as typical pets not used for commercial purposes.
In all, the bill makes changes to rules around security deposits, relocation assistance, the rental application process, evictions, credit reporting requirements, move-in and move-out procedures and methods of payment.
It’s set to go before the Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee on June 11. If it advances, it’s unlikely to go before the full council until at least August, Schultz said.
“Why would landlords also be interested in this? And I think the answer to that is that clear rules reduce confusion and conflict,” Schultz said.
UNM and NMSU opt in to paying athletes — can they compete in this new college athletics landscape?- Geoff Grammer, Albuquerque Journal
Fernando Lovo’s text message to a reporter Friday night read like a coach who just landed a prized recruit.
“Good news. We are ready to roll!”
The University of New Mexico athletics director was more than happy to share the response when asked for reaction to the monumental news that a federal judge approved a class-action settlement allowing for NCAA-member schools to directly compensate athletes, creating a clearinghouse to track payments from collectives to athletes and ordering schools to pay back athletes from the past nine years.
Monday, UNM released an 1,100-word “message” from Lovo to the campus community, and a fairly in-depth FAQ document, explaining his optimism that the Lobos will not merely survive in the new revenue-sharing landscape, but thrive.
“UNM made the strategic decision to adopt this model so we can remain competitive in an ever-evolving environment,” Lovo wrote. “It’s the right step to preserve the momentum we’ve built and to ensure continued success across all our programs.”
In Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Acting Athletic Director Amber Burdge expressed similar optimism in the Aggies’ ability to navigate the new landscape with the goal to “remain competitive within our conference and region, while maintaining a sustainable model that supports all 16 of our Division I programs.”
But what does the settlement actually mean for the UNMs and NMSUs of the college sports world?
The House settlement
The House settlement, as it is commonly referred, is U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken’s approval of a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit. The legal wrangling began about five years ago when Arizona State swimmer Grant House challenged NCAA rules preventing schools from sharing revenue with athletes.
Wilken’s ruling opens the floodgates to schools being able to share millions of dollars in athletics revenue with athletes — a move some hope settles the name, image and likeness (NIL) chaos in college sports while others fear it will lead to sports being cut, previously established Title IX opportunities diminishing and from creating even a wider gap between the power programs and the rest of college athletics.
Schools can opt in to participate in the new rules, which allow schools to disperse up to $20.5 million — roughly 23% of the average power conference budget — to athletes in exchange for use of the student’s NIL.
While neither UNM nor NMSU were ready on Monday to tell the Journal how much they will be sharing with athletes, neither will be approaching that $20.5 million cap. At both schools, revenue from men’s basketball is king while their FBS football programs have not been able to consistently bring in the type of revenue so many other programs have enjoyed.
Still, Lovo believes the model can work for the Lobos.
“UNM made the strategic decision to adopt this model so we can remain competitive in an ever-evolving environment,” Lovo wrote in his message to Lobo fans and the campus community. “It’s the right step to preserve the momentum we’ve built and to ensure continued success across all our programs.
“Basketball will be a cornerstone of our revenue-sharing strategy. We know how much pride this community and our entire state take in Lobo basketball — it’s a defining part of who we are. At the same time, we are fully committed to elevating our Football program — another critical driver of both revenue and department-wide impact. When basketball and football thrive, every Lobo program benefits.”
Both Burdge and UNM Deputy Athletic Director Ryan Berryman on Monday told the Journal this is not a case of “new” money coming into the budget. Both schools must find new revenue streams or move money from other places within their budgets.
“We have not yet finalized the total amount that will be allocated for revenue-sharing in FY26,” Burdge wrote in an email to the Journal. “We are reviewing our revenues, budget capacity, and benchmarking against peer institutions to shape our approach.”
Who gets paid?
While neither UNM nor NMSU have drafted a list of who specifically will get paid, it’s clear men’s basketball and football players will be the priority for now as those are the sports that generate revenue or media rights value.
Between that thinking, which is common across the nation, and the settlement expanding scholarship limits for those high-profile sports, there are concerns that smaller, Olympic sports or women’s sports that don’t tend to generate profits will see scholarship reductions or maybe even get cut.
Decision-makers at both New Mexico schools said there is no plan to reduce scholarships of any sport in the coming year. But both seem keenly aware Title IX challenges may be coming .
Though salaries of employees of public institutions are public record, it’s unclear how schools will handle disclosure of athlete payments. Legal challenges, again, are expected there.
And the collectives?
College athletes have been able to receive NIL payments for several years, however these did not come from the schools directly. Independent collectives formed around many schools to raise funds and distribute payments to athletes.
UNM’s highly-successful 505 Sports Venture Foundation and NMSU’s A Mountain Sports Collective will continue in their efforts and are still allowed to pay athletes, though under the House settlement, any NIL deal worth $600 or more must now be disclosed to a new, quasi-independent College Sports Commission, which will vet all deals.
The commission will scrutinize three things in these deals: the relationship of the person or business paying the athlete and the school they play for; are the athletes being paid for a valid business purpose (appearances, commercials, promotion, etc.); and whether the pay they receive is comparable to what others would get paid for similar work.
Not disclosing a deal to the CSC could result in penalties.
Back pay coming
Maybe the most crucial part of the House settlement, although since it doesn’t affect current teams or athletes one not getting quite the same attention, is that the case established $2.8 billion in back pay for former Division I athletes (UNM and NMSU, included) who previously joined the suit and who the judge ruled were not given proper opportunity to earn compensation for their name, image and likeness. The settlement affects players as far back as 2016.
The money comes from NCAA reserves and each school will have money withheld from future NCAA distribution until the money is balanced.
UNM expects about $500,000 to be withheld from the NCAA next fiscal year.
Arizona officials confirm measles outbreak in Navajo County- Associated Press
Health officials in Arizona say there are four linked measles cases in Navajo County, marking the state's first outbreak this year.
The U.S. logged 122 more cases of measles last week — but only four of them in Texas — while the outbreaks in Pennsylvania and Michigan officially ended.
There were 1,168 confirmed measles cases in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Health officials in Texas, where the nation's biggest outbreak raged during the late winter and spring, said they'll now post case counts only once a week — yet another sign the outbreak is slowing.
There are three other major outbreaks in North America. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 2,009 cases from mid-October through June 3. The province logged its first death Thursday in a baby that got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.
Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened 761 as of Thursday. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 1,940 measles cases and four deaths as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry.
Other U.S. states with active outbreaks — which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma.
In the U.S., two elementary school-aged children in the epicenter in West Texas and an adult in New Mexico have died of measles this year. All were unvaccinated.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
How many measles cases are there in Texas?There were a total of 744 cases across 35 counties, most of them in West Texas, state health officials said Tuesday.
Throughout the outbreak, 96 people have been hospitalized.
State health officials estimated less than 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — are actively infectious. Fifty-five percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 411 cases since late January — just under 2% of the county’s residents.
The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.
How many measles cases are there in New Mexico?
New Mexico held steady Tuesday with a total of 81 cases.
Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state’s cases are in Lea County. Sandoval County near Albuquerque has six cases, Eddy County has three, Doña Ana County has two. Chaves, Curry and San Juan counties have one each.
An unvaccinated adult died of measles-related illness March 6. The person did not seek medical care.
How many cases are there in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma added one case Tuesday for a total of 16 confirmed and three probable cases.
The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases.
How many cases are there in Arizona?
Arizona has four cases in Navajo County. The cases are linked to a single source, the county health department said Monday. All four are unvaccinated and have a history of recent international travel.
How many cases are there in Colorado?
Colorado has seen a total of 14 measles cases in 2025, which includes one outbreak of eight related cases.
The outbreak is linked to a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at Denver International Airport in mid-May, and includes four cases in Arapahoe County, three in El Paso County and one in Denver, plus a person who doesn't live in Colorado.
Other counties that have seen measles this year include Archuleta and Pueblo.
How many cases are there in Illinois?
Illinois health officials confirmed a four-case outbreak on May 5 in the far southern part of the state, and it's grown to eight cases as of June 6, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The state's other two cases so far this year were in Cook County, and are unrelated to the southern Illinois outbreak.
How many cases are there in Kansas?
Kansas has a total of 71 cases across 11 counties in the southwestern part of the state, with three hospitalizations. All but two of the cases are connected, and most are in Gray County.
How many cases are there in Montana?
Montana had 17 measles cases as of Thursday. Ten were in Gallatin County, which is where the first cases showed up — Montana’s first in 35 years.
Flathead and Yellowstone counties had two cases each, and Hill County had three case.
There are outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
How many cases are there in North Dakota?
North Dakota, which hadn't seen measles since 2011, was up to 34 cases as of Friday. Two of the people have been hospitalized, and all of the people with confirmed cases were not vaccinated.
There were 16 cases in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border. On the eastern side of the state on the Minnesota border, there were 10 cases in Grand Forks County and seven cases in Cass County. Burke County, in northwest North Dakota on the border of Saskatchewan, Canada, had one case.
How many cases are there in Ohio?
Ohio remained steady for a third week at 34 measles cases and one hospitalization, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That count includes only Ohio residents.
The state has two outbreaks: Ashtabula County near Cleveland has 16 cases, and Knox County in east-central Ohio has 20 — 14 among Ohio residents and the rest among visitors. Allen, Cuyahoga, Holmes and Defiance counties have one case each.
How many cases are there in Tennessee?
Tennessee has had six measles cases since early May, but no change since. Tennessee’s outbreak appears to be over, as health officials say there have not been any new cases in six weeks.
Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?
Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania were declared over by health officials after six weeks of no new cases.
Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year, and most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.
What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?
The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.
People who have documentation that they had measles are immune, and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."
Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.
Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
How can you treat measles?
There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Federal efforts to revoke buffer zone around Chaco Canyon prompts delegation letter — Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
In a new letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, New Mexico’s congressional delegation chastised federal efforts to revoke a 10-mile buffer zone for oil and gas development around Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
“Pursuing increased development on [Bureau of Land Management] lands within the ten-mile area that surrounds Chaco Canyon—so rich in cultural, spiritual, and historical significance—is misguided and risks permanent damage to one of the most sacred landscapes in North America,” the letter stated. “Additionally, it is unacceptable to push forward without full and robust Tribal consultation.”
The area around Chaco Canyon holds paramount spiritual and cultural significance to several New Mexico Pueblos, the Hopi Indians of Arizona and the Navajo Nation. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated the archaeological sites at Chaco among one of only 24 World Heritage Sites in the U.S.
The site sits atop the Mancos Shale formation in the San Juan Basin. Approximately 90% of federal lands surrounding the site are leased for oil and gas, according to the All Pueblo Governors Council. Pueblo governments and advocates fought for years for protections from further encroachment of oil and gas.
In 2023, under the Biden Administration, the federal government issued Public Land Order No. 7923, banning further oil and gas development on federal lands within 10 miles of the historic site for 20 years, which was celebrated by advocates and tribal governments.
In April, members of the delegation re-introduced federal legislation to make the withdrawal permanent. But a competing Republican-backed bill and the Trump Administration’s efforts to unwind the order are threatening that progress, the delegation said in their letter.
Bureau of Land Management officials failed to offer proper notice of virtual May 28 tribal consultation, the delegation said, adding that federal officials did not send a letter to all of the impacted tribal governments. The delegation pressed the federal government to hold in-person consultations, give a timeline for when decisions will be made and urged Burgum himself to tour in-person.
A Source NM request to the Bureau of Land Management for a copy of the letter sent to tribal governments in May went unreturned Monday.
Efforts to remove the buffer are unsurprising, said Julia Bernal (Sandia), the executive Director of Pueblo Action Alliance, who noted it was one of the plans outlined in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.
Bernal said her nonprofit is pushing for further safeguarding the ancestral site and reducing pollution from oil and gas, and worries that walking back Chaco protections will erode future restoration or protection efforts.
“If we’re undoing or just disregarding those very important mandated tribal consultation processes, then that really just does show how unimportant it is for this administration to uphold their sovereign rights,” Bernal said.
A reversal will face “widespread public opposition and yield minimal benefits,” in oil and gas development, the delegation wrote.
White House budget request slashes funding for tribal colleges and universities — Graham Lee Brewer, Associated Press
In President Donald Trump's budget request, he's proposing slashing funding for tribal colleges and universities, including eliminating support for the country's only federally funded college for contemporary Native American arts.
If the budget is approved by Congress, beginning in October, the more than $13 million in annual appropriations for the Institute for American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, would be reduced to zero. It would be the first time in nearly 40 years that the congressionally chartered school would not receive federal support, said Robert Martin, the school's president.
"You can't wipe out 63 years of our history and what we've accomplished with one budget," Martin said on Friday. "I just can't understand or comprehend why they would do something like this."
The college, founded in 1962, has provided affordable education to thousands of Native artists and culture bearers, including U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo, painter T.C. Cannon and bestselling novelist Tommy Orange. It's the only four-year degree fine arts institution in the world devoted to contemporary Native American and Alaskan Native arts, according to its website.
Martin said he has spoken with members of Congress from both major political parties who have assured him they'll work to keep the institute's budget level for the next fiscal year, but he worries the morale of students and staff will be affected. Martin said he also spoke with staff in the office of U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Cole, a Republican and former member of IAIA's board of trustees and a longtime advocate in Congress for funding that supports tribal citizens, was unavailable for comment.
Breana Brave Heart, a junior studying arts and business, said the proposal shocked her and made her wonder: "Will I be able to continue my education at IAIA with these budget cuts?" Brave Heart said she started organizing with other students to contact members of Congress. "IAIA is under attack," she said, "and I need other students to know this."
Martin said that amid the Republican Trump administration's crackdown on federal policies and funding that support diversity, equity and inclusion, trust responsibilities and treaty rights owed to tribal nations have also come under attack.
"It's a problem for us and many other organizations when you've got that DEI initiative which really is not applicable to us, because we're not a racial category, we're a political status as a result of the treaties," he said. "We're easily identified as what this administration might refer to as a 'woke'."
Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico said the cuts are another example of the Trump administration "turning its back on Native communities and breaking our trust responsibilities."
"As a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, I remain committed to keeping IAIA fully funded and will continue working with appropriators and the New Mexico Congressional Delegation to ensure its future," Luján said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The congressional budget bill includes roughly $3.75 trillion in tax cuts, extending the expiring 2017 individual income tax breaks and temporarily adding new ones that Trump campaigned on. The revenue loss would be partially offset by nearly $1.3 trillion in reduced federal spending elsewhere, namely through Medicaid and food assistance.
A Jan. 30 order from the Interior Department titled "Ending DEI Programs and Gender Ideology Extremism" stated that any efforts to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion in the department's policy should exclude trust obligations to tribal nations.
However, earlier this year, several staff members at the other two congressionally chartered schools in the country — the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas — were laid off as part of Trump's push to downsize the federal workforce. In a lawsuit filed in March, both institutions reported that some staff and faculty were rehired, but the Bureau of Indian Education notified those people that might be temporary and they may be laid off again.
"It shows what a president's values and priorities are, and that's been hard," said Ahniwake Rose, president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, an organization that represents more than 30 Tribal Colleges and Universities. "That's been hard for our staff, our students, our faculty to see that the priority of the administration through the Department of Interior might not be on tribal colleges."
In its budget request this year, the Interior Department is proposing reducing funding to the BIE's post secondary programs by more than 80%, and that would have a devastating affect on tribal colleges and universities, or TCUs, which rely on the federal government for most of their funding, said Rose. Most TCUs offer tribal citizens a tuition-free higher education, she said, and funding them is a moral and fiduciary responsibility the federal government owes tribal nations.
In the many treaties the U.S. signed with tribal nations, it outlined several rights owed to them — like land rights, health care and education through departments established later, like the BIE. Trust responsibilities are the legal and moral obligations the U.S. has to protect and uphold those rights. The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rep. Stansbury submits $20 million in Community Project Funding requests for Corrales —Kevin Hendricks, NM.news
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) has submitted 15 Congressionally funded community projects totaling $158,450,000 for communities across New Mexico in the upcoming 2026 budget process.
As the U.S. House of Representatives begins marking up appropriations bills this week, these proposals aim to address critical needs in public safety, housing, healthcare, education, and environmental protection.
Stansbury’s funding requests include $20 million for a project in Corrales.
She requested $20 million to help install a treatment facility and expand wastewater collection across the Village of Corrales to protect local groundwater from septic system contamination, conserve water resources by recycling treated wastewater and support long-term sustainability.
Stansbury said Community Project Funding is a tool used to “deliver necessary investments for lasting change in New Mexico.”
“I came to Congress to support the needs of New Mexico using every tool available,” Stansbury said. “As the Administration targets funding and resources our communities depend on, Community Project Funding is one of the most powerful tools we have.”
Since taking office, Rep. Stansbury said she has secured funding for 37 projects focused on addressing the state’s biggest challenges. This year’s submissions are restricted to specific federal programs and eligible entities such as state, local, and Tribal governments.
These projects will now be considered by the House Appropriations Committee as part of the FY 2026 appropriations process. Approval by the committee and passage in both Chambers of Congress are required before the projects can be signed into law, a process expected to extend into the fall, with Fiscal Year 2026 beginning on October 1.
U.S. Sen. Heinrich: Torrance ICE lockup ‘inadequate’ and ‘inappropriate’ – Austin Fisher, Source New MexicoOn a recent visit to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement lockup in Estancia, staff members for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) saw clogged sinks in a cell pod and a drain in the common area backed up with sewage water. They also noted that the tablet computers detained people use to access legal services were broken. While inside the Torrance County Detention Facility on May 28, they heard at least 10 people file complaints with an ICE official for verbal and physical abuse; lack of access to laundry; being forced to wear old, dirty clothing; and lack of medical care, according to a letter Heinrich sent to Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons last Thursday. At that point, “the ICE agent in charge prevented my staff from visiting” two nearby pods, Heinrich wrote, which is forbidden by federal law. Heinrich is now calling on federal immigration authorities for a second time to terminate their contract with CoreCivic to run TCDF; relocate everyone being held there; and to close the detention center. He outlined his previous attempts to document inhumane living conditions and physical abuse against the facility’s detainees, as well as lack of adequate access to legal services and medical care. “It is clear that conditions at TCDF have not improved and remain inadequate and inappropriate for detention purposes,” Heinrich wrote. His staff found new safety, staffing and sanitation issues, with multiple detained people there telling them that TCDF officials had turned on the water for only one hour every three days for showers and given them two bottles of drinking water per day. Toilets would not flush for days at a time, he wrote. Heinrich wrote that TCDF Warden George Dedos confirmed Source NM’s previous reporting that the facility was without water from the Town of Estancia for three days. CoreCivic at the time denied “any claim that indicates TCDF has been without running water” as “completely false.” Caty Payette, Heinrich’s communications director, told Source NM on Monday that ICE had not confirmed receipt of the letter. Source NM on Monday morning sent emails seeking comment from spokespeople for ICE and CoreCivic. Dedos told Heinrich that the detention center has two backup water tanks, but couldn’t answer questions about how much water they hold, how much the detention center typically uses per day or how long that capacity normally lasts. “Neither Dedos nor the ICE agents present for the tour could describe any contingency plan for when there is another water outage short of the total relocation of all the detainees,” Heinrich wrote. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General recommended in 2022 that officials create such a contingency plan, after inspectors found critical staffing shortages, safety risks and unsanitary living conditions in TCDF. “As a nation, as an immigration enforcement agency, and as a government contractor, the United States, ICE, and CoreCivic have an obligation to protect the welfare and dignity of detainees in ICE custody,” Heinrich wrote. “For years, CoreCivic staff at TCDF have utterly failed at meeting the most basic standards for which they are contracted by your agency.” Albuquerque Pride reminds community of its protest roots – Kylee Howard, Albuquerque JournalThousands packed in between Route 6 and storefronts Saturday as rainbow-adorned trucks and floats carried drag performers, dancers and DJs as they tossed candy and sprayed water on the crowd. Couples with their dogs, some clad in festive rainbow collars or booties, children, or just friends and families showed support for the LGBTQ+ community with cheers and dancing. The temperatures in Albuquerque rose into the 90s as the city’s 49th Pride Parade kicked off down Central Avenue with a colorful line of floats and marchers — culminating in a celebration at Civic Plaza. “Being prideful goes back to the Stonewall Riots... and this is just a peace end to what those riots came to,” said Juan Enrique, who has attended every parade since they were 14. “We’re about loving one another and accepting no matter what you are.” Along with the parade, Albuquerque Pride hosted three events during the first week of Pride Month. On Thursday, dozens gathered for a vigil in Morningside Park, the site of Albuquerque’s first pride event, to remember those loved ones who have been lost. For its 49th anniversary, Albuquerque Pride switched PrideFest venues from the Balloon Fiesta Park to Civic Plaza. The move was partially to open the event to more attendees with a bigger venue, more shading and access to public transportation, but also to celebrate on the steps of City Hall. “It’s amazing that we are right here in the city center, where our community is supporting all of us for existing today and every day,” said drag performer Miss Vanessa Patricks during opening remarks. This year’s Pride Month comes as the Trump administration takes action to target the LGBTQ+ community, like including executive orders that ban transgender people from joining the military and competing in college sports as well as an effort to expel diversity, equity and inclusion from the federal government. The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking almost 600 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the nation, including several in New Mexico. None of the seven proposed bills passed before the end of the legislative session in March. “We must return to our roots, of grassroots activism, of direct action, of taking our future into our own hands,” Raymond Sierra-Lopez, Albuquerque Pride board president, said during a speech at the event. “We cannot wait for institutions or politicians to save us. We must save ourselves, and that starts with building community.” The Albuquerque Pride parade is the second-longest running parade in the city, Sierra-Lopez said. It began in 1976 when 25 people marched from the Metropolitan Community Church of Albuquerque to Yale Park, which is now part of the University of New Mexico. “We cannot go to sleep right now. This is not the time,” Patricks said. “It is important for all of us (to) continue to show up in this broad daylight, be yourselves and let your freak flag show.”NM group condemns federal raid on Lovington dairy farm – Patrick Lohmann, Source New MexicoThe federal immigration raid at a dairy farm in Eastern New Mexico last week tore families apart, damaged trust and “undermined our shared values of compassion and justice,” according to Somos Un Pueblo Unido, a statewide immigrant advocacy organization.
According to a social media post from Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, the agency executed a search warrant at the Outlook Dairy Farms in Lovington on June 4, arresting 11 people accused of misuse of visas, permits or other documents.
The owner of the dairy farm told the Albuquerque Journal that the people arrested provided him false paperwork and that, following an audit before the raid, he’d been required to fire 24 other workers at the farm.
In a statement Monday morning, María Romano, coordinator of the Lea County office of Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said that the raid undermines New Mexico’s economy, which relies heavily on immigrant workers who are “powering industries from dairy farms to oil and gas.”
“The individuals targeted in this raid are our neighbors, coworkers and friends, many of whom have lived here peacefully for years, contributing to our economy and enriching our culture,” Romano said. “These enforcement actions do not make us safer.”
The organization called on local and state leaders to demand transparency from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to protect New Mexicans’ rights regardless of immigration status.
“This recent raid reminds us that our communities must be aware of their rights. We must continue to empower ourselves to defend our dignity and demand justice for all New Mexicans.”
The group shared a website it created explaining people’s rights, regardless of immigration status, with information for victims of wage theft, along with dealing with ICE, Border Patrol and police at border checkpoints and elsewhere.
The Albuquerque City Council is set to consider sweeping new rules that would overhaul the rental process citywide, aiming to protect tenants from hidden fees, housing instability and unresponsive landlords.
The bill, known as Renter’s Empowerment and Neighborhood Transparency (RENT) Ordinance, would enshrine several protections around almost every part of the renting experience. The bill addresses nearly all aspects of the rental process and would impact every landlord and renter in the city. Statistics from the American Community Survey show that about 44% of households in Albuquerque rent.
But it’s far from guaranteed to pass.
“I think that this council has proven in the past that they’re not interested in helping renters very much,” said Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who is sponsoring the bill on behalf of the mayor’s office. “But recently, we did get two pieces of tenant protections passed.”
Those two pieces were an ordinance mandating landlords provide cooling for tenants and a bill that created a code enforcement position to respond directly to renters’ issues.
The bill also faces opposition from landlord advocates.
“While the stated intent of this legislation may be to protect tenants, in practice, it burdens responsible landlords, increases operational and legal risk, and would discourage housing investment in Albuquerque,” said Alan LaSeck, executive director of the Apartment Association of New Mexico.
LaSeck went on to say the proposals ignore the realities of managing rental housing and would lead to reduced availability, higher costs and greater conflict.
“Rather than fostering cooperation between tenants and owners, they threaten to drive housing providers out of the market, shrinking our housing supply, increasing rents and worsening the very problem we’re trying to solve,” LaSeck said.
What's in the RENT Ordnance?
Shanna Schultz, policy and government affairs administrator for the city, said the bill comes at a time when Albuquerque continues to grapple with a housing crisis.
A 2024 Denver-based Root Policy Research report, titled “Albuquerque Region Housing Needs Assessment,” found a significant shortage of units for low-income renters. The same report found that residents were spending more than a third of their monthly income on housing and that occupied units, such as apartments and single-family homes, often had more residents than rooms available.
“I think we know that building more homes is essential, but that’s not enough on its own. It’s not the only tool in the toolkit,” Schultz said. “We also need to protect the people who are already living in homes.”
Schultz, who authored the policy proposal, noted that the bill’s transparency provisions were among its most significant changes.
The RENT Ordinance would require landlords to disclose all costs of a rental agreement in plain language in their published listings. That includes anything on a background check that could disqualify an applicant, as well as minimum credit score or income requirements.
“This can help renters avoid surprise charges and do things like budget more confidently, which is very important in this economy right now,” Schultz said.
There are several other key provisions, including those around repairs. The ordinance grants the tenant the right to arrange for necessary maintenance by a licensed and insured professional. The tenant can also deduct the cost of the repair from their rent payment or receive reimbursement from the landlord when the landlord fails to make a repair.
Landlords would also be prohibited from charging fees and additional rent for companion animals, defined in the bill as typical pets not used for commercial purposes.
In all, the bill makes changes to rules around security deposits, relocation assistance, the rental application process, evictions, credit reporting requirements, move-in and move-out procedures and methods of payment.
It’s set to go before the Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee on June 11. If it advances, it’s unlikely to go before the full council until at least August, Schultz said.
“Why would landlords also be interested in this? And I think the answer to that is that clear rules reduce confusion and conflict,” Schultz said.
UNM and NMSU opt in to paying athletes — can they compete in this new college athletics landscape?- Geoff Grammer, Albuquerque Journal
Fernando Lovo’s text message to a reporter Friday night read like a coach who just landed a prized recruit.
“Good news. We are ready to roll!”
The University of New Mexico athletics director was more than happy to share the response when asked for reaction to the monumental news that a federal judge approved a class-action settlement allowing for NCAA-member schools to directly compensate athletes, creating a clearinghouse to track payments from collectives to athletes and ordering schools to pay back athletes from the past nine years.
Monday, UNM released an 1,100-word “message” from Lovo to the campus community, and a fairly in-depth FAQ document, explaining his optimism that the Lobos will not merely survive in the new revenue-sharing landscape, but thrive.
“UNM made the strategic decision to adopt this model so we can remain competitive in an ever-evolving environment,” Lovo wrote. “It’s the right step to preserve the momentum we’ve built and to ensure continued success across all our programs.”
In Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Acting Athletic Director Amber Burdge expressed similar optimism in the Aggies’ ability to navigate the new landscape with the goal to “remain competitive within our conference and region, while maintaining a sustainable model that supports all 16 of our Division I programs.”
But what does the settlement actually mean for the UNMs and NMSUs of the college sports world?
The House settlement
The House settlement, as it is commonly referred, is U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken’s approval of a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit. The legal wrangling began about five years ago when Arizona State swimmer Grant House challenged NCAA rules preventing schools from sharing revenue with athletes.
Wilken’s ruling opens the floodgates to schools being able to share millions of dollars in athletics revenue with athletes — a move some hope settles the name, image and likeness (NIL) chaos in college sports while others fear it will lead to sports being cut, previously established Title IX opportunities diminishing and from creating even a wider gap between the power programs and the rest of college athletics.
Schools can opt in to participate in the new rules, which allow schools to disperse up to $20.5 million — roughly 23% of the average power conference budget — to athletes in exchange for use of the student’s NIL.
While neither UNM nor NMSU were ready on Monday to tell the Journal how much they will be sharing with athletes, neither will be approaching that $20.5 million cap. At both schools, revenue from men’s basketball is king while their FBS football programs have not been able to consistently bring in the type of revenue so many other programs have enjoyed.
Still, Lovo believes the model can work for the Lobos.
“UNM made the strategic decision to adopt this model so we can remain competitive in an ever-evolving environment,” Lovo wrote in his message to Lobo fans and the campus community. “It’s the right step to preserve the momentum we’ve built and to ensure continued success across all our programs.
“Basketball will be a cornerstone of our revenue-sharing strategy. We know how much pride this community and our entire state take in Lobo basketball — it’s a defining part of who we are. At the same time, we are fully committed to elevating our Football program — another critical driver of both revenue and department-wide impact. When basketball and football thrive, every Lobo program benefits.”
Both Burdge and UNM Deputy Athletic Director Ryan Berryman on Monday told the Journal this is not a case of “new” money coming into the budget. Both schools must find new revenue streams or move money from other places within their budgets.
“We have not yet finalized the total amount that will be allocated for revenue-sharing in FY26,” Burdge wrote in an email to the Journal. “We are reviewing our revenues, budget capacity, and benchmarking against peer institutions to shape our approach.”
Who gets paid?
While neither UNM nor NMSU have drafted a list of who specifically will get paid, it’s clear men’s basketball and football players will be the priority for now as those are the sports that generate revenue or media rights value.
Between that thinking, which is common across the nation, and the settlement expanding scholarship limits for those high-profile sports, there are concerns that smaller, Olympic sports or women’s sports that don’t tend to generate profits will see scholarship reductions or maybe even get cut.
Decision-makers at both New Mexico schools said there is no plan to reduce scholarships of any sport in the coming year. But both seem keenly aware Title IX challenges may be coming .
Though salaries of employees of public institutions are public record, it’s unclear how schools will handle disclosure of athlete payments. Legal challenges, again, are expected there.
And the collectives?
College athletes have been able to receive NIL payments for several years, however these did not come from the schools directly. Independent collectives formed around many schools to raise funds and distribute payments to athletes.
UNM’s highly-successful 505 Sports Venture Foundation and NMSU’s A Mountain Sports Collective will continue in their efforts and are still allowed to pay athletes, though under the House settlement, any NIL deal worth $600 or more must now be disclosed to a new, quasi-independent College Sports Commission, which will vet all deals.
The commission will scrutinize three things in these deals: the relationship of the person or business paying the athlete and the school they play for; are the athletes being paid for a valid business purpose (appearances, commercials, promotion, etc.); and whether the pay they receive is comparable to what others would get paid for similar work.
Not disclosing a deal to the CSC could result in penalties.
Back pay coming
Maybe the most crucial part of the House settlement, although since it doesn’t affect current teams or athletes one not getting quite the same attention, is that the case established $2.8 billion in back pay for former Division I athletes (UNM and NMSU, included) who previously joined the suit and who the judge ruled were not given proper opportunity to earn compensation for their name, image and likeness. The settlement affects players as far back as 2016.
The money comes from NCAA reserves and each school will have money withheld from future NCAA distribution until the money is balanced.
UNM expects about $500,000 to be withheld from the NCAA next fiscal year.
Arizona officials confirm measles outbreak in Navajo County- Associated Press
Health officials in Arizona say there are four linked measles cases in Navajo County, marking the state's first outbreak this year.
The U.S. logged 122 more cases of measles last week — but only four of them in Texas — while the outbreaks in Pennsylvania and Michigan officially ended.
There were 1,168 confirmed measles cases in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Health officials in Texas, where the nation's biggest outbreak raged during the late winter and spring, said they'll now post case counts only once a week — yet another sign the outbreak is slowing.
There are three other major outbreaks in North America. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 2,009 cases from mid-October through June 3. The province logged its first death Thursday in a baby that got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.
Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened 761 as of Thursday. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 1,940 measles cases and four deaths as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry.
Other U.S. states with active outbreaks — which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma.
In the U.S., two elementary school-aged children in the epicenter in West Texas and an adult in New Mexico have died of measles this year. All were unvaccinated.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
How many measles cases are there in Texas?There were a total of 744 cases across 35 counties, most of them in West Texas, state health officials said Tuesday.
Throughout the outbreak, 96 people have been hospitalized.
State health officials estimated less than 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — are actively infectious. Fifty-five percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 411 cases since late January — just under 2% of the county’s residents.
The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.
How many measles cases are there in New Mexico?
New Mexico held steady Tuesday with a total of 81 cases.
Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state’s cases are in Lea County. Sandoval County near Albuquerque has six cases, Eddy County has three, Doña Ana County has two. Chaves, Curry and San Juan counties have one each.
An unvaccinated adult died of measles-related illness March 6. The person did not seek medical care.
How many cases are there in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma added one case Tuesday for a total of 16 confirmed and three probable cases.
The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases.
How many cases are there in Arizona?
Arizona has four cases in Navajo County. The cases are linked to a single source, the county health department said Monday. All four are unvaccinated and have a history of recent international travel.
How many cases are there in Colorado?
Colorado has seen a total of 14 measles cases in 2025, which includes one outbreak of eight related cases.
The outbreak is linked to a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at Denver International Airport in mid-May, and includes four cases in Arapahoe County, three in El Paso County and one in Denver, plus a person who doesn't live in Colorado.
Other counties that have seen measles this year include Archuleta and Pueblo.
How many cases are there in Illinois?
Illinois health officials confirmed a four-case outbreak on May 5 in the far southern part of the state, and it's grown to eight cases as of June 6, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The state's other two cases so far this year were in Cook County, and are unrelated to the southern Illinois outbreak.
How many cases are there in Kansas?
Kansas has a total of 71 cases across 11 counties in the southwestern part of the state, with three hospitalizations. All but two of the cases are connected, and most are in Gray County.
How many cases are there in Montana?
Montana had 17 measles cases as of Thursday. Ten were in Gallatin County, which is where the first cases showed up — Montana’s first in 35 years.
Flathead and Yellowstone counties had two cases each, and Hill County had three case.
There are outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
How many cases are there in North Dakota?
North Dakota, which hadn't seen measles since 2011, was up to 34 cases as of Friday. Two of the people have been hospitalized, and all of the people with confirmed cases were not vaccinated.
There were 16 cases in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border. On the eastern side of the state on the Minnesota border, there were 10 cases in Grand Forks County and seven cases in Cass County. Burke County, in northwest North Dakota on the border of Saskatchewan, Canada, had one case.
How many cases are there in Ohio?
Ohio remained steady for a third week at 34 measles cases and one hospitalization, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That count includes only Ohio residents.
The state has two outbreaks: Ashtabula County near Cleveland has 16 cases, and Knox County in east-central Ohio has 20 — 14 among Ohio residents and the rest among visitors. Allen, Cuyahoga, Holmes and Defiance counties have one case each.
How many cases are there in Tennessee?
Tennessee has had six measles cases since early May, but no change since. Tennessee’s outbreak appears to be over, as health officials say there have not been any new cases in six weeks.
Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?
Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania were declared over by health officials after six weeks of no new cases.
Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year, and most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.
What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?
The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.
People who have documentation that they had measles are immune, and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."
Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.
Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
How can you treat measles?
There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Federal efforts to revoke buffer zone around Chaco Canyon prompts delegation letter — Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
In a new letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, New Mexico’s congressional delegation chastised federal efforts to revoke a 10-mile buffer zone for oil and gas development around Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
“Pursuing increased development on [Bureau of Land Management] lands within the ten-mile area that surrounds Chaco Canyon—so rich in cultural, spiritual, and historical significance—is misguided and risks permanent damage to one of the most sacred landscapes in North America,” the letter stated. “Additionally, it is unacceptable to push forward without full and robust Tribal consultation.”
The area around Chaco Canyon holds paramount spiritual and cultural significance to several New Mexico Pueblos, the Hopi Indians of Arizona and the Navajo Nation. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated the archaeological sites at Chaco among one of only 24 World Heritage Sites in the U.S.
The site sits atop the Mancos Shale formation in the San Juan Basin. Approximately 90% of federal lands surrounding the site are leased for oil and gas, according to the All Pueblo Governors Council. Pueblo governments and advocates fought for years for protections from further encroachment of oil and gas.
In 2023, under the Biden Administration, the federal government issued Public Land Order No. 7923, banning further oil and gas development on federal lands within 10 miles of the historic site for 20 years, which was celebrated by advocates and tribal governments.
In April, members of the delegation re-introduced federal legislation to make the withdrawal permanent. But a competing Republican-backed bill and the Trump Administration’s efforts to unwind the order are threatening that progress, the delegation said in their letter.
Bureau of Land Management officials failed to offer proper notice of virtual May 28 tribal consultation, the delegation said, adding that federal officials did not send a letter to all of the impacted tribal governments. The delegation pressed the federal government to hold in-person consultations, give a timeline for when decisions will be made and urged Burgum himself to tour in-person.
A Source NM request to the Bureau of Land Management for a copy of the letter sent to tribal governments in May went unreturned Monday.
Efforts to remove the buffer are unsurprising, said Julia Bernal (Sandia), the executive Director of Pueblo Action Alliance, who noted it was one of the plans outlined in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.
Bernal said her nonprofit is pushing for further safeguarding the ancestral site and reducing pollution from oil and gas, and worries that walking back Chaco protections will erode future restoration or protection efforts.
“If we’re undoing or just disregarding those very important mandated tribal consultation processes, then that really just does show how unimportant it is for this administration to uphold their sovereign rights,” Bernal said.
A reversal will face “widespread public opposition and yield minimal benefits,” in oil and gas development, the delegation wrote.
White House budget request slashes funding for tribal colleges and universities — Graham Lee Brewer, Associated Press
In President Donald Trump's budget request, he's proposing slashing funding for tribal colleges and universities, including eliminating support for the country's only federally funded college for contemporary Native American arts.
If the budget is approved by Congress, beginning in October, the more than $13 million in annual appropriations for the Institute for American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, would be reduced to zero. It would be the first time in nearly 40 years that the congressionally chartered school would not receive federal support, said Robert Martin, the school's president.
"You can't wipe out 63 years of our history and what we've accomplished with one budget," Martin said on Friday. "I just can't understand or comprehend why they would do something like this."
The college, founded in 1962, has provided affordable education to thousands of Native artists and culture bearers, including U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo, painter T.C. Cannon and bestselling novelist Tommy Orange. It's the only four-year degree fine arts institution in the world devoted to contemporary Native American and Alaskan Native arts, according to its website.
Martin said he has spoken with members of Congress from both major political parties who have assured him they'll work to keep the institute's budget level for the next fiscal year, but he worries the morale of students and staff will be affected. Martin said he also spoke with staff in the office of U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Cole, a Republican and former member of IAIA's board of trustees and a longtime advocate in Congress for funding that supports tribal citizens, was unavailable for comment.
Breana Brave Heart, a junior studying arts and business, said the proposal shocked her and made her wonder: "Will I be able to continue my education at IAIA with these budget cuts?" Brave Heart said she started organizing with other students to contact members of Congress. "IAIA is under attack," she said, "and I need other students to know this."
Martin said that amid the Republican Trump administration's crackdown on federal policies and funding that support diversity, equity and inclusion, trust responsibilities and treaty rights owed to tribal nations have also come under attack.
"It's a problem for us and many other organizations when you've got that DEI initiative which really is not applicable to us, because we're not a racial category, we're a political status as a result of the treaties," he said. "We're easily identified as what this administration might refer to as a 'woke'."
Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico said the cuts are another example of the Trump administration "turning its back on Native communities and breaking our trust responsibilities."
"As a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, I remain committed to keeping IAIA fully funded and will continue working with appropriators and the New Mexico Congressional Delegation to ensure its future," Luján said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The congressional budget bill includes roughly $3.75 trillion in tax cuts, extending the expiring 2017 individual income tax breaks and temporarily adding new ones that Trump campaigned on. The revenue loss would be partially offset by nearly $1.3 trillion in reduced federal spending elsewhere, namely through Medicaid and food assistance.
A Jan. 30 order from the Interior Department titled "Ending DEI Programs and Gender Ideology Extremism" stated that any efforts to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion in the department's policy should exclude trust obligations to tribal nations.
However, earlier this year, several staff members at the other two congressionally chartered schools in the country — the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas — were laid off as part of Trump's push to downsize the federal workforce. In a lawsuit filed in March, both institutions reported that some staff and faculty were rehired, but the Bureau of Indian Education notified those people that might be temporary and they may be laid off again.
"It shows what a president's values and priorities are, and that's been hard," said Ahniwake Rose, president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, an organization that represents more than 30 Tribal Colleges and Universities. "That's been hard for our staff, our students, our faculty to see that the priority of the administration through the Department of Interior might not be on tribal colleges."
In its budget request this year, the Interior Department is proposing reducing funding to the BIE's post secondary programs by more than 80%, and that would have a devastating affect on tribal colleges and universities, or TCUs, which rely on the federal government for most of their funding, said Rose. Most TCUs offer tribal citizens a tuition-free higher education, she said, and funding them is a moral and fiduciary responsibility the federal government owes tribal nations.
In the many treaties the U.S. signed with tribal nations, it outlined several rights owed to them — like land rights, health care and education through departments established later, like the BIE. Trust responsibilities are the legal and moral obligations the U.S. has to protect and uphold those rights. The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rep. Stansbury submits $20 million in Community Project Funding requests for Corrales —Kevin Hendricks, NM.news
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) has submitted 15 Congressionally funded community projects totaling $158,450,000 for communities across New Mexico in the upcoming 2026 budget process.
As the U.S. House of Representatives begins marking up appropriations bills this week, these proposals aim to address critical needs in public safety, housing, healthcare, education, and environmental protection.
Stansbury’s funding requests include $20 million for a project in Corrales.
She requested $20 million to help install a treatment facility and expand wastewater collection across the Village of Corrales to protect local groundwater from septic system contamination, conserve water resources by recycling treated wastewater and support long-term sustainability.
Stansbury said Community Project Funding is a tool used to “deliver necessary investments for lasting change in New Mexico.”
“I came to Congress to support the needs of New Mexico using every tool available,” Stansbury said. “As the Administration targets funding and resources our communities depend on, Community Project Funding is one of the most powerful tools we have.”
Since taking office, Rep. Stansbury said she has secured funding for 37 projects focused on addressing the state’s biggest challenges. This year’s submissions are restricted to specific federal programs and eligible entities such as state, local, and Tribal governments.
These projects will now be considered by the House Appropriations Committee as part of the FY 2026 appropriations process. Approval by the committee and passage in both Chambers of Congress are required before the projects can be signed into law, a process expected to extend into the fall, with Fiscal Year 2026 beginning on October 1.
U.S. Sen. Heinrich: Torrance ICE lockup ‘inadequate’ and ‘inappropriate’ – Austin Fisher, Source New MexicoOn a recent visit to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement lockup in Estancia, staff members for U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) saw clogged sinks in a cell pod and a drain in the common area backed up with sewage water. They also noted that the tablet computers detained people use to access legal services were broken. While inside the Torrance County Detention Facility on May 28, they heard at least 10 people file complaints with an ICE official for verbal and physical abuse; lack of access to laundry; being forced to wear old, dirty clothing; and lack of medical care, according to a letter Heinrich sent to Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons last Thursday. At that point, “the ICE agent in charge prevented my staff from visiting” two nearby pods, Heinrich wrote, which is forbidden by federal law. Heinrich is now calling on federal immigration authorities for a second time to terminate their contract with CoreCivic to run TCDF; relocate everyone being held there; and to close the detention center. He outlined his previous attempts to document inhumane living conditions and physical abuse against the facility’s detainees, as well as lack of adequate access to legal services and medical care. “It is clear that conditions at TCDF have not improved and remain inadequate and inappropriate for detention purposes,” Heinrich wrote. His staff found new safety, staffing and sanitation issues, with multiple detained people there telling them that TCDF officials had turned on the water for only one hour every three days for showers and given them two bottles of drinking water per day. Toilets would not flush for days at a time, he wrote. Heinrich wrote that TCDF Warden George Dedos confirmed Source NM’s previous reporting that the facility was without water from the Town of Estancia for three days. CoreCivic at the time denied “any claim that indicates TCDF has been without running water” as “completely false.” Caty Payette, Heinrich’s communications director, told Source NM on Monday that ICE had not confirmed receipt of the letter. Source NM on Monday morning sent emails seeking comment from spokespeople for ICE and CoreCivic. Dedos told Heinrich that the detention center has two backup water tanks, but couldn’t answer questions about how much water they hold, how much the detention center typically uses per day or how long that capacity normally lasts. “Neither Dedos nor the ICE agents present for the tour could describe any contingency plan for when there is another water outage short of the total relocation of all the detainees,” Heinrich wrote. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General recommended in 2022 that officials create such a contingency plan, after inspectors found critical staffing shortages, safety risks and unsanitary living conditions in TCDF. “As a nation, as an immigration enforcement agency, and as a government contractor, the United States, ICE, and CoreCivic have an obligation to protect the welfare and dignity of detainees in ICE custody,” Heinrich wrote. “For years, CoreCivic staff at TCDF have utterly failed at meeting the most basic standards for which they are contracted by your agency.” Albuquerque Pride reminds community of its protest roots – Kylee Howard, Albuquerque JournalThousands packed in between Route 6 and storefronts Saturday as rainbow-adorned trucks and floats carried drag performers, dancers and DJs as they tossed candy and sprayed water on the crowd. Couples with their dogs, some clad in festive rainbow collars or booties, children, or just friends and families showed support for the LGBTQ+ community with cheers and dancing. The temperatures in Albuquerque rose into the 90s as the city’s 49th Pride Parade kicked off down Central Avenue with a colorful line of floats and marchers — culminating in a celebration at Civic Plaza. “Being prideful goes back to the Stonewall Riots... and this is just a peace end to what those riots came to,” said Juan Enrique, who has attended every parade since they were 14. “We’re about loving one another and accepting no matter what you are.” Along with the parade, Albuquerque Pride hosted three events during the first week of Pride Month. On Thursday, dozens gathered for a vigil in Morningside Park, the site of Albuquerque’s first pride event, to remember those loved ones who have been lost. For its 49th anniversary, Albuquerque Pride switched PrideFest venues from the Balloon Fiesta Park to Civic Plaza. The move was partially to open the event to more attendees with a bigger venue, more shading and access to public transportation, but also to celebrate on the steps of City Hall. “It’s amazing that we are right here in the city center, where our community is supporting all of us for existing today and every day,” said drag performer Miss Vanessa Patricks during opening remarks. This year’s Pride Month comes as the Trump administration takes action to target the LGBTQ+ community, like including executive orders that ban transgender people from joining the military and competing in college sports as well as an effort to expel diversity, equity and inclusion from the federal government. The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking almost 600 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the nation, including several in New Mexico. None of the seven proposed bills passed before the end of the legislative session in March. “We must return to our roots, of grassroots activism, of direct action, of taking our future into our own hands,” Raymond Sierra-Lopez, Albuquerque Pride board president, said during a speech at the event. “We cannot wait for institutions or politicians to save us. We must save ourselves, and that starts with building community.” The Albuquerque Pride parade is the second-longest running parade in the city, Sierra-Lopez said. It began in 1976 when 25 people marched from the Metropolitan Community Church of Albuquerque to Yale Park, which is now part of the University of New Mexico. “We cannot go to sleep right now. This is not the time,” Patricks said. “It is important for all of us (to) continue to show up in this broad daylight, be yourselves and let your freak flag show.”NM group condemns federal raid on Lovington dairy farm – Patrick Lohmann, Source New MexicoThe federal immigration raid at a dairy farm in Eastern New Mexico last week tore families apart, damaged trust and “undermined our shared values of compassion and justice,” according to Somos Un Pueblo Unido, a statewide immigrant advocacy organization.
According to a social media post from Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, the agency executed a search warrant at the Outlook Dairy Farms in Lovington on June 4, arresting 11 people accused of misuse of visas, permits or other documents.
The owner of the dairy farm told the Albuquerque Journal that the people arrested provided him false paperwork and that, following an audit before the raid, he’d been required to fire 24 other workers at the farm.
In a statement Monday morning, María Romano, coordinator of the Lea County office of Somos Un Pueblo Unido, said that the raid undermines New Mexico’s economy, which relies heavily on immigrant workers who are “powering industries from dairy farms to oil and gas.”
“The individuals targeted in this raid are our neighbors, coworkers and friends, many of whom have lived here peacefully for years, contributing to our economy and enriching our culture,” Romano said. “These enforcement actions do not make us safer.”
The organization called on local and state leaders to demand transparency from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to protect New Mexicans’ rights regardless of immigration status.
“This recent raid reminds us that our communities must be aware of their rights. We must continue to empower ourselves to defend our dignity and demand justice for all New Mexicans.”
The group shared a website it created explaining people’s rights, regardless of immigration status, with information for victims of wage theft, along with dealing with ICE, Border Patrol and police at border checkpoints and elsewhere.