New Mexico Takes a Stand Against Federal Overreach and Surveillance Abuse

At a time when the federal government is escalating its authoritarian tactics—launching unconstitutional wars abroad and unleashing masked federal agents on American streets—New Mexico is saying enough. The state refuses to be complicit in the cruelty and lawlessness that define the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement and surveillance.

Lena Weber, Director of Public Policy for the ACLU of New Mexico, delivered a powerful speech at the recent No Kings Rally in Albuquerque, laying bare the grim realities faced by immigrants and residents alike. She highlighted a deadly pattern of abuse in New Mexico’s own immigration detention centers—Torrance, Cibola, and Otero counties—where solitary confinement, rotten food, sewage in cells, and medical neglect are routine. Nationally, ICE’s brutality is staggering: at least eight deaths this year alone, with 32 in custody in 2025, marking the deadliest period in over two decades.

But New Mexico is not standing down. After years of grassroots organizing, Governor Lujan Grisham signed the Immigrant Safety Act, landmark legislation that prohibits the state from participating in civil immigration detention, bans the notorious 287(g) agreements that deputize local police as ICE agents, and blocks the use of public land for federal detention facilities. This is a direct rebuke to the federal government’s cruelty and a clear message: not in our name.

The fight doesn’t stop at detention centers. The administration’s sprawling surveillance apparatus is weaponizing personal data—tracking immigration status, gender identity, protest attendance, and reproductive healthcare access—often without any legal oversight. An ACLU investigation revealed that out-of-state agencies have exploited New Mexico’s license plate reader cameras to hunt down immigrants and even women who have had abortions. This is persecution disguised as law enforcement, enabled by lax data protections and sold to the highest bidder.

New Mexico responded with the Driver Privacy and Safety Act, which bans sharing license plate data with out-of-state agencies for immigration enforcement or investigating protected healthcare decisions. This law is a crucial step toward protecting residents’ privacy and civil liberties.

But the state knows these victories are just the beginning. The rise of facial recognition and AI-powered surveillance demands new guardrails. New Mexico is pushing for comprehensive biometric privacy laws, AI regulations, and broader data privacy protections to ensure technology serves people—not Big Brother.

From local communities refusing to cooperate with federal overreach to a legislature passing bold civil rights protections, New Mexico is leading by example. Other states are watching, and New Mexico is showing them what real courage looks like: living freely, authentically, and safely without asking permission.

This is resistance. This is accountability. This is democracy in action.