Speaking earlier this week at the Roundhouse during a rally for Immigrant and Workers Day of Action, former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland reminded us that, “New Mexico is the light.” An image borrowed from Zia Pueblo and adopted as our state symbol, the Zia “represents the sun,” says Haaland, and with it, light.

Following the rally, at an interfaith vigil honoring the life of Alex Pretti and mourning state-sanctioned violence happening in Minneapolis, a faith practitioner sang, “See the light, be the light.”

How can we be the light in such dark times? First, as the song says, we must see it. In Minneapolis, we see that power building organizations, mutual aid networks, and direct service providers are bringing support, care, and protection to communities under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) siege.

Just last week, a 12-year-old girl in Minneapolis who was experiencing her first period and was afraid to leave her home due to ICE, was able to get the menstrual products she needed thanks to a well-organized mutual aid network. Meanwhile, an estimated 50,000 people gathered in sub-zero temperatures on January 23rd to protest ICE’s unlawful actions and the fatal shooting of Renee Good.



Here in New Mexico, we see the light at actions such as the “We Got Us” rally organized by Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA) on the first day of the legislative session. We know that action absorbs anxiety. If you are feeling powerless or a sense of despair in the face of what is happening in Minnesota, nationwide, and the world at large, we invite you to take action by supporting these local Minnesota groups that are on the frontlines.

One way we are taking action is by standing in solidarity with our sisters at the Minnesota Women’s Foundation, who are mobilizing $5 million to direct toward organizing groups on the ground in Minneapolis. We invite you to contribute to their work, as well.

Thank you for being a light in our community as we navigate this darkness together.

While the national policy context is increasingly chaotic, here in New Mexico, lawmakers and movement partners are working steadily to advance values-driven policies that protect dignity and safety and ensure collective care. Below is a snapshot of key gender, racial, and economic justice legislation we’re tracking in this short 30-day session:

• Community and Health Information Safety and Privacy Act (CHISPA), SB53: Strengthens consumer data privacy, including health data, by regulating how consumer information is collected, processed, and shared.
• Driver Privacy and Safety Act, SB40: Creates safeguards around data collected by automatic license plate readers, restricting data sharing and preventing its use to criminalize legal activity in New Mexico or enforce immigration laws.
• NM Survivors Justice Act, HB69/HB151: Eliminates statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual assault for civil cases.
• Legislative Compensation (Statute & Constitutional Amendment), HB102, HJR5: Establishes a framework for compensating legislators based on New Mexico’s median household income, with an option to opt out, helping make public service more accessible to working-class New Mexicans.
• Immigrant Safety Act, HB9: Ends state complicity with federal immigration enforcement by closing detention loopholes, prohibiting the leasing of public land for detention centers, and strengthening oversight to build trust and safety in immigrant communities.
• Healthcare Affordability Fund Distributions, HB4: Advocates for increased investment in the Healthcare Affordability Fund to keep coverage affordable and prevent New Mexicans from losing coverage.

• Restraining Orders and Firearms, HB67: Requires individuals subject to orders of protection to relinquish or refrain from possessing firearms, strengthening protections for survivors of domestic and family violence.
• Clear Horizons Act, SB18: Expands renewable energy development, strengthens community transition planning, and centers equity in climate investments.
• Rainbow Budget: Proposes $10 million in state funding to support LGBTQ-serving organizations, investing in the safety, health, and care of queer and trans New Mexicans.
• The NM Survivors’ Agenda: Requests $500,000 in recurring funds to maintain the NM Sexual Assault Helpline and a $1.5 million special appropriation to maintain current sexual assault program funding presently receiving one-time, non-recurring funding, among other priorities.
• Indigenous Women’s Sterilization Memorial (anticipated): Calls for a statewide study and action plan to acknowledge and address the forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women and women of color, laying the groundwork for a truth and reconciliation commission.
• Baby Bonds (anticipated): Would create state-managed accounts for every child born in New Mexico, building long-term wealth with projected funds for education, housing, or entrepreneurship.

To learn more about the above bills and their status, go to: https://www.nmlegis.gov/.

Mark your calendars to join the following days of action:

The work of safeguarding local solutions for women, girls, and gender nonconforming folks across New Mexico is critical in these times. Your contributions in 2025 have helped fuel this work. Thank you for walking alongside us and our grantee partners.

In solidarity,

Sarah Ghiorse

President & CEO