Albuquerque Sued for Allegedly Violating the Constitutional Rights of the Unhoused & Special Immigrant Juvenile Status in NM

New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

Senior Producer Lou DiVizio opens the show with some headlines from around the state including a judge's recent decision on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's adjusted executive order restricting firearms in Bernalillo County.

Then, Lou speaks with two attorneys who are suing the City of Albuquerque on behalf of several unhouse clients. The lawsuit accuses the city of violating the Fourth and Eighth Amendments and due process protections for unhoused people by shuffling them from place to place and destroying their property. A state District Court judge issued an injunction in the case last month, barring the city from removing people from public property or taking their belongings. The City of Albuquerque has filed a request for a stay on the injunction with the state Supreme Court — as of Thursday's recording, the court has not decided if it will take up the case.

This spring, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 15 into law. It expands the age range for young immigrants eligible to access green cards, work permits and other benefits — if they can prove in court they had been abandoned, abused or neglected. Executive Producer Jeff Proctor speaks with two immigrant advocates about their work to get this bill passed through the Roundhouse.

Host: Lou DiVizio Segments:

Attorneys Say Albuquerque Violated Unhoused Clients’ Constitutional Rights

Correspondent: Lou DiVizio

Guests:

Adam Flores, civil rights lawyer

Martha Mulvany, civil rights lawyer

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status in NM

Correspondent: Jeff Proctor

Guests:

Jessica Martinez, attorney, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center

Jazmín Irazoqui-Ruiz, policy director, Bold Futures NM

For More Information:

Homeless man sues City of Albuquerque over Coronado Park removal – KRQE

Injunction filed against city of Albuquerque for removal of homeless personal property – KRQE New Mexico law allows migrant children under 21 to obtain residency – KFOX