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‘A call to action’: New Mexico mayors convene for CAM antisemitism forum

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‘A call to action’: New Mexico mayors convene for CAM antisemitism forum


As New Mexico continues to grapple with the rise of anti-Jewish incidents that spiked around the world in the wake of the start of the Israel-Hamas War over 500 days ago, a dozen leaders from across the southwestern US state convened for a forum hosted by Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) on Tuesday to discuss how their cities could combat antisemitism.

According to CAM, the rate of antisemitic incidents in New Mexico have quadrupled since the war began on October 7, 2023, following Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people.

Mayors and municipal officials were among those who attended the forum, which was co-hosted by Santa Fe, Española, and Las Vegas. The cities of Albuquerque, Pecos, Los Alamos, Grants, Santa Rosa, Bernalillo, Clovis, and Red River were also represented at the event.

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During the forum, mayors present shared their experiences in countering hatred, discussed best practices, and developed strategies to combat antisemitism, CAM stated.

These strategies reportedly included local policy measures that could be implemented, greater engagement in CAM initiatives, and commitments from the cities to recognize Jewish American Heritage and to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism.

Star of David (credit: PXHERE)
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“Getting New Mexico mayors together is an important step toward preventing and addressing antisemitism and hate in all of our communities,” Santa Fe Mayor Alan Weber said. “In our discussions today, we all agreed to work together for the good of all of New Mexico –and that’s why we came together.”

The mayors participated in a roundtable discussion at the forum focusing on CAM’s Municipal Antisemitism Action Index. The discussion was moderated by CAM Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz.

Katz noted that the index helps cities evaluate and improve their responses to antisemitism.

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‘Powerful call to action against antisemitism’

“Today’s roundtable discussion was a powerful call to action against antisemitism and hate in general here in New Mexico, a testament to the importance of promoting understanding and unity for all,” Las Vegas Mayor David Romero added.

Española Mayor John Ramon Vigil commented, “Hate is a factor that is growing within our communities on various scales — not just limited to antisemitic hatred. Events such as these help us better prepare and understand how we grow our communities in a positive manner.”


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“The New Mexico Mayors Roundtable was a vital opportunity for local leaders to address the rising challenges of antisemitism, extremism, and hate-fueled violence affecting their communities,” Katz said after the forum, adding, “The leadership of these mayors and their peers throughout the state is essential in ensuring that New Mexico remains a place where all residents feel safe and respected.”





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New Mexico

Grants cancels Christmas parade due to shootings

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Grants cancels Christmas parade due to shootings


GRANTS, N.M. – The City of Grants is canceling this year’s annual Christmas light parade, citing the safety of the public and their own officers.

Dozens of floats were supposed to roll down Santa Fe Avenue on Saturday night, but Grants police are holding off until next year after three incidents where someone shot at law enforcement officers.

“It was definitely a difficult decision, but due to the incident that took place on December 8, where law enforcement was shot at in the area of Santa Fe Avenue, we made that decision to protect the citizens of Grants,” says Grants Police Chief Maxine Monte.

She says a New Mexico State Police officer was shot at while making a traffic stop. The officer walked away uninjured, but this was too much for the chief.

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“We’ve had three different incidents where law enforcement was shot at. One was May of 2025, the other one was August of 2025, and then the recent event of December 8 of 2025,” says Monte.

It’s not a risk the chief wants to take, and points out people would be standing exactly where the last shooting happened.

“We have a lot of citizens that attend our parade, and our main concern was that they were out in the open in the middle of the night, and in the same area that our latest shooting took place.”

Grant residents will be able to see the floats during the day on Saturday. But even some daylight isn’t convincing some residents.

“I’ll be staying home,” said Amy Brigdon. “There’s too many people in the world that want to see bad things happen to other people. I’m not one of them.”

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Police still don’t have a suspect for this week’s attempted shooting. Anyone with information is asked to get in touch with the Grants Police Department.



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New Mexico

Colorado wolf rereleased in Grand County after crossing into New Mexico

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Colorado wolf rereleased in Grand County after crossing into New Mexico


Colorado Parks and Wildlife rereleased a wolf into Grand County this week after it had traveled into New Mexico, according to a news release.

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish captured gray wolf 2403 and returned the animal to Colorado.

Colorado wildlife officials decided to release the wolf in Grand County yesterday because of the proximity to “an unpaired female gray wolf,” nearby prey populations and distance from livestock, according to the release.

“Gray wolf 2403 has been returned to Colorado and released in a location where it can best contribute to CPW’s efforts to establish a self-sustaining wolf population while concurrently attempting to minimize potential wolf-related livestock conflicts,” said acting director of CPW Laura Clellan, according to the release.

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The wolf was once a member of the Copper Creek pack but departed from it this fall.

A memorandum of understanding between Colorado and Arizona, New Mexico and Utah requires that any gray wolves that leave Colorado and enter those states be returned. That was created in part to maintain the integrity of a Mexican wolf recovery program.



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New Mexico man sentenced to nearly 20 years for distributing meth

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New Mexico man sentenced to nearly 20 years for distributing meth


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A judge sentenced a New Mexico man to nearly 20 years in prison for distributing meth and having guns in his possession to use while doing so.

Court records indicate 43-year-old David Amaya sold meth from a trailer on his parents’ property in Anthony throughout July and August 2024. Agents executed a search warrant Aug. 22 and found 1.18 kilograms of meth, two firearms and ammunition in the trailer and a makeshift bathroom.

Amaya pleaded guilty to possession of meth with intent to distribute it. A judge sentenced him to 235 months in prison.

Once he is out, Amaya will face five years of supervised release.

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The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Las Cruces Metro Narcotics Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Williams prosecuted it.



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