New Mexico
New Mexico cities must abandon their efforts to punish homelessness
Over the years, we’ve seen every manner of anti-panhandling law introduced, passed, revoked, and re-introduced in cities across New Mexico. Many of the laws that have come and gone were repealed because they were unconstitutional. But it hasn’t stopped cities from trying again and again to push unhoused people out of sight through the threat of arrest; city officials invariably tinker with the language and see if it passes muster.
Right now, we’re seeing a new wave of these efforts, all under the auspices of public safety. The Santa Fe City Council is expected to soon vote on a bill that would make it illegal for people to sit or stand on a median that is less than 36 inches. It mirrors similar bans implemented in Albuquerque in 2023 and in Espanola in 2022. Last month, Alamogordo passed a bill that punishes people with up to $500 in fines and 90 days in jail for soliciting or giving donations from a median. At a recent Las Cruces City Council meeting, there were talks of introducing a new bill to curb panhandling, and Governor Lujan Grisham has doubled down on her efforts to pass a statewide ban.
As these bills catch fire in New Mexico, it begs the question: What if our elected leaders used the same dedication and ingenuity to address the root causes of homelessness, instead of concocting new ways to punish people who are unhoused?
When our cities respond to homelessness with police, unpayable fees, and jail time, it only entrenches homelessness. A person who asks for money because they are too poor to afford a meal or a night in a hotel cannot afford to pay hundreds of dollars in fines. Any time spent behind bars for their inability to pay exorbitant fees only compounds their hardships. That’s because the stigma of jail time and criminal records make it all but impossible to obtain employment or housing. It’s clear to see that criminal legal system involvement and homelessness are part of a vicious feedback loop.
The National Prison Policy Alliance found that people who have been to prison one time experience homelessness at a rate nearly seven times higher than the general public. People incarcerated more than once are 13 times more likely than the rest of the population to experience homelessness.
To truly address homelessness, New Mexico’s elected leaders must confront the decades of policy failures that have led to a lack of safe and affordable housing, access to mental and physical healthcare, substance use treatment and other essential wrap-around services. While we’ve made big strides in these areas, we should not undo that progress by coupling real solutions with failed policies.
The difficult reality is that many New Mexicans – and families across the country – are just one bad circumstance away from finding themselves in a similar position to the people they drive past, holding up a sign for help. Housing and food costs in the last few years have skyrocketed, and wages have not kept pace. Our state is also grappling with an enormous housing shortage. These factors contributed to a 48% increase in homelessness from 2022-23.
Addressing a collective failure to adequately invest in our communities is in everyone’s best interest. It will take time, but unlike laws that respond with punishment, doing so will pay off in the long run.
The question is: Will our elected leaders continue with the status quo, or will they show the courage, humanity, and fortitude to forge a different path? New Mexicans deserve elected leaders who will do the latter.
Nayomi Valdez is the public policy director at ACLU-NM and Monet Silva is executive director at New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness
A 10-month-old girl was reported missing in New Mexico after her mother and another woman were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
An Amber Alert was issued for Eleia Maria Torres, according to New Mexico State Police. She is 28 inches tall, weighs 23 pounds and has brown eyes and brown hair.
The Clovis Police Department responded on Friday at about 4:30 p.m. to Ned Houk Park at 700 County Road 17 near Clovis. When officers arrived, they located two deceased women, identified as 23-year-old Samantha Cisneros and 23-year-old Taryn Allen, lying on the ground near a silver minivan, according to KCBD.
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An Amber Alert was issued for 10-month-old Eleia Maria Torres. (New Mexico State Police)
A five-year-old girl, who police said is Cisneros’ daughter, was also found nearby with a head injury. She was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Officers found an infant car seat, stroller and a small baby bottle at the scene and, suspecting that a baby may have been present during the crime, began to search for the child.
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A 10-month-old girl was reported in New Mexico after her mother and another woman were found dead in an apartment from apparent gunshot wounds. (New Mexico State Police)
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After speaking with family, officers learned Cisneros was the mother of the injured five-year-old girl and 10-month-old Eleia. Police believe the killer was the one who abducted Eleia.
Police said there is no suspect, but that they believed the person responsible may have left in a maroon Honda.
The incident remains under investigation.
An Amber Alert was issued for a 10-month-old girl after the baby’s mother and another woman were discovered dead and a 5-year-old was found injured in a New Mexico park.
The Clovis Police Department issued the Amber Alert for Eleia Maria Torres on Friday after officers were dispatched to Ned Houk Park near Clovis around 4:30 p.m. in response to a 911 call about a person finding two deceased women.
New Mexico State Police said they do not have a suspect at this time but believe the person was driving a maroon Honda.
Officers found the women lying on the ground near a silver Dodge minivan, Clovis police said in a Facebook statement. They had apparently been shot.
A 5-year-old girl was found suffering from a gunshot wound to her head, according to statements from Clovis police and state police. She was taken to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, about 100 miles southeast of Clovis.
At the scene was also an infant car seat, an infant stroller and a small baby bottle, police said.
“Officers were concerned there was an infant child with the female victims when this incident happened,” Clovis police said.
Officers immediately began searching for Eleia but could not find her.
The women were identified by police as Samantha Cisneros, the mother of both children, and Taryn Allen. Both women are 23 and from Texico, New Mexico.
Authorities believe Eleia was abducted by the perpetrator “and is in immediate danger,” Clovis police said.
“Many details about this incident are unknown and under investigation, but of urgent concern is the whereabouts of Eleia Maria Torres,” state police said.
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(New Mexico News Connection) New Mexico is taking a deep dive into its funding of public colleges and universities to determine if inequities need to be addressed. The Higher Education Sustainability Study will review and recommend changes to the formula used to fund higher ed.
Gerald Hoehne, director, Capital Outlay Division with the New Mexico Higher Education Department, said it will look at possible inequities among the full range of sectors – from colleges and universities to research institutions, independent community colleges and branch campuses.
“The differences between community colleges and research institutions – those differences have come into how they’re funded. So, this study gives us an opportunity to look at that in more detail,” he said.
Community colleges disproportionately serve low-income students and students of color, but New Mexico is among the majority of states where two-year institutions receive thousands of dollars less in education revenue per student enrolled than four-year institutions, according to a 2020 study by the Center for American Progress.
Hoehne expected study results to be available by mid-October ahead of the 2025 legislative session, so lawmakers have insight and can make changes they feel are needed. The Legislature earmarked $187 million for higher education in 2024 – more than double last year’s investment and one of the largest investments in higher education in state history. Hoene said an initiative within the study will look at how New Mexico’s funding compares to other states.
“To understand if there is different ways in which other states are addressing the different types of institutions and how we potentially may be able to incorporate any changes to our process to address those differences,” he continued.
The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems is conducting the equity study on behalf of the state.
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