ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – City of Albuquerque leaders say we could lose dozens of police officers as well as a variety of projects because of cuts from the Trump administration.

In response, the city just launched a dashboard the mayor says will track threats to funding from the Trump administration.

The mayor says this dashboard will also so show what steps the city is taking to fight the cuts, including legal challenges, and finding other sources of funding from the state or county.

The mayor specifically points out a February memo from the Trump administration, targeting “immigrant friendly” communities.

The mayor says if the cuts go through, Albuquerque police would lose 50 officers, along with crime lab equipment, rape kit processing, and victim support programs.

The mayor also claims programs for 900 children in Early Childhood and Family Services programs will be cut, along with funding for infrastructure projects including housing initiatives and the Rail Trail.

While the mayor is worried, the cuts do have a lot of support from Republicans. So, KOB 4 asked the Republican Party of New Mexico for their take on the city dashboard

In a statement from the New Mexico GOP, they called Keller’s claims “absurd,” and blame the mayor for losing funding.

They say the solution is for the mayor and City of Albuquerque to comply with federal law on immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion. 

• Daniel Torres, 42, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the shooting death of Alfredo Morales.
• Torres pleaded guilty to manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
• The shooting occurred outside Cazadores Cantina in South-Central El Paso in 2021.

A New Mexico man was sentenced to prison in the 2021 fatal shooting outside a South-Central El Paso bar.

Judge Sam Medrano of the 409th District Court sentenced Daniel Torres, 42, of La Union, New Mexico, on March 27 to 25 years in prison for the fatal Oct. 15, 2021, shooting of 28-year-old Alfredo Morales, El Paso District Attorney’s Office officials said in a news release.

Torres was sentenced to 25 years in prison on one count each of manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The sentences will be served concurrently, court records show. The sentencing took place at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse in Downtown El Paso.

Torres pleaded guilty to the charges the same day as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. As part of the plea agreement, Torres waived his appellate rights, according to the news release.

More: El Paso police arrest NM man on murder charge in fatal shooting outside Cazadores Cantina

Torres had previously been convicted twice of felony theft. He was sentenced to four years in prison each time on those charges, according to the news release.

Torres kills Morales during shoot-out outside South-Central El Paso bar

The shooting happened about 12:20 a.m. Oct. 15, 2021, outside Cazadores Cantina at the corner of Durazno Avenue and Copia Street in South-Central El Paso.

Jorge J. Garcia Reyes, 36, and another person were leaving the bar when Garcia and Morales got into an argument, El Paso Police Department officials said.

Morales allegedly took out a gun and shot Garcia once in the chest. Torres pulled out a gun and shot Morales several times, killing him before fleeing the scene, police said.

Garcia was taken to University Medical Center of El Paso for treatment. The severity of Garcia’s injuries was never disclosed by police.

A police investigation identified Torres as the shooter. An arrest warrant was issued for Torres.

A U.S Marshals fugitive task force arrested Torres Nov. 5, 2021, in La Union, police said.

More: South-Central El Paso bar closed after county attorney alleges habitual criminal activity

Torres was held at the Doña Ana County Detention Center until Nov. 10, 2021, when he was extradited to El Paso. He remained jailed on a $1 million bond as his case remained pending in district court, jail logs show.

Cazadores Cantina’s liquor permit was suspended soon after the shooting by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The El Paso County Attorney’s Office temporarily shut down the bar in 2023, claiming “habitual criminal activity” was occurring at the bar. The bar was reputedly known for prostitution and as a Barrio Azteca hangout, county attorney’s office officials said in 2023.

Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on X/Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

New Mexico named Eric Olen as head coach of their men’s basketball team on Saturday, replacing Richard Pitino who left for Xavier following four seasons with the Lobos.

Five days later, Olen has his first commitment, and it comes from a familiar name. Class of 2025 guard Jake Hall has committed to New Mexico. A standout at Carlsbad High School, Hall had previously signed to play for Olen at UC San Diego.

Hall appeared on KUSI-TV in San Diego on Thursday night, announcing his decision to follow Olen and commit to the Lobos. As a freshman at Carlsbad, Hall burst onto the San Diego basketball scene averaging 22 points and six rebounds per game to earn All-CIF honors. Hall went on to earn All-CIF honors in all four seasons at Carlsbad, winning San Diego Section Player of the Year following his junior season. He helped lead the Lancers to their first San Diego Section Open Division title, losing to eventual state champion Harvard-Westlake by one point in the CIF State regional semifinals.

UC San Diego was the second Division 1 school to extend an offer to Hall, doing so in September of 2022. He went on to receive a dozen scholarship offers before committing to the hometown Tritons this past summer. Hall signed with the Tritons in November but reopened his commitment earlier this week after Eric Olen left UC San Diego to take over at New Mexico.

“He’s built for these moments,” Hall’s coach at Carlsbad Clark Allard said after their championship in 2024. “When his time came, he trusted the work and really got it done. Hard work always comes to the light, and nobody works harder than he does.”

As a sophomore, Hall had a career high 50 points in a 100-89 win over San Ysidro, lifting the Lancers past top 100 recruits Mikey Williams and JJ Taylor. This past season, Hall averaged 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. He continued to rise through the San Diego Section record books throughout the year, becoming the third player in section history to reach 3,000 career points. Hall finished with 3,106 career points, trailing only Troy Leaf on the San Diego Section all-time scoring list.