[LWVNM Action] Immigration legislation: Governor Signs SB 36 & Other News

Mon Apr 14 15:27:35 MDT 2025

Very disappointed with the pocket veto of HB64 and the failure to get
several other good bills passed and to the governor to sign, but there were
some major successes.

Meredith Ross Machen
505-577-6337
Meredith.machen at gmail.com

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Somos Acción <somos-somosaccion.org at shared1.ccsend.com>
Date: Mon, Apr 14, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Subject: Governor Signs SB 36 & Other News
To: <meredith.machen at gmail.com>

Legislative Update--April 14, 2025

Victory for Immigrant Safety: Governor Signs

SB36!

(para leer en español haz clic aquí)
<https://ll46elcab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0016PWeF1Iee6xQ17hDt8GbwIx54VyPSKD4PxxUEkUSv72r0TCLLov8iVtJP5QIwP28a_rV96dB3oS-n9KMjraxmKsENND7yB70SiPpN1-hVQs7u73w6SBPVQFsCzkaCV9KvXS22TQbLVNu_oTkV-KHUw==&c=wHGE8IYbQfJiXv7whTbNH2Q_ax86mKWnDkxwO_PCvmh6G4twcv35hw==&ch=xlzVlw08A69JoVzHYQiY6ipU8eMXjMzQPFWp1KzMJRs4G24n94e6bg==>

As we entered the 2025 legislative season, Somos Accionistas showed up
strong—packing the Legislative Finance Committee's November hearing on the
state of our workforce. Our message was loud and clear: New Mexico cannot
afford to lose any immigrant workers to deportation.

We demanded bold action to protect immigrant families and to recognize the
essential contributions we make to the state’s economy. Despite a tough
session where few bills made it to the Governor’s desk, the unwavering
advocacy of New Mexico’s immigrant and workers' rights movement led to some
key wins.

In the last few weeks, you generated thousands of phone call, emails, and
letters to the Governor. THANK YOU! Here's what we achieved together:

✅ Signed Into Law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham:

SB 36 – Immigrant Safety & Privacy Protection

Limits the disclosure of sensitive personal information—such as immigration
status—by state agencies, including MVD records sold to for-profit data
brokers for the purposes of immigration enforcement. A critical win for
immigrant public safety!

👉 [Read our press release about SB 36]
<https://ll46elcab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0016PWeF1Iee6xQ17hDt8GbwIx54VyPSKD4PxxUEkUSv72r0TCLLov8ie8ozdd7rlN2EXXr5YltDe3xwFfAFAkZIbZUEuTTXdwmOS3GRwQdfobRVI2Ze0b3JT8KTqWxjUH2MRdMelPoOtPF4FmnO-Gh19wllVOg94M46skzzt46iG-9Mh_Pbqgs9RGlREfdT2ZZovNFukcqozoBDmxpkRDc1O-zbRi2DxScl8m4nJXmwWMWZxj3ZRLVyzK2WczIEi0o&c=wHGE8IYbQfJiXv7whTbNH2Q_ax86mKWnDkxwO_PCvmh6G4twcv35hw==&ch=xlzVlw08A69JoVzHYQiY6ipU8eMXjMzQPFWp1KzMJRs4G24n94e6bg==>

SB 48 – Green Economy & Workforce Development Investments

Creates a new Community Benefits Fund to boost the state’s investment in
green energy and expand access to adult education and workforce training
opportunities in emerging industries.

HB 167 – Free High School Equivalency (HSE) Tests

Makes HSE/GED tests free for New Mexicans and increases mobile testing
sites, making it easier for adult learners to advance to other job training
opportunities.

❌ Pocket Vetoed: HB 64 – In-State Tuition & Financial Aid for Immigrant
Adult Learners

This critical bill would have expanded access to both credit and non-credit
workforce programs at community colleges by ensuring undocumented immigrant
adult learners qualify for in-state tuition and financial aid. While we’re
very disappointed this bill won’t become law this year, Somos won't give
up. We’ll keep working with the Governor’s team to break down barriers to
job training and economic mobility for our families.

✅ Budget Wins: Investments in Immigrant & Low-Wage Worker Communities

Thanks to powerful organizing by Somos Accionistas and allies, we secured
historic budget investments in legal services, adult education and
workforce development programs, wraparound support services and
supplemental income for workers in job training. Here’s what we won:

   - $10 million for legal services, legal training, case workers and other
   legal and public safety supports.
   - $2 million to expand the NM Workforce Training Economic Support
   Pilot—providing recurring cash assistance for workers in both credit and
   non-credit job training programs. (Somos led the charge to create this
   program at the 2024 Legislature.)
   - $3.5 million in new recurring funds for the Adult Education Division
   (AED) to expand programs and train more ESL, HSE, and literacy instructors.
   - $1.25 million for free HSE/GED testing statewide.
   - $17 million over three years from the Community Benefits Fund to
   support workforce development in non-extractive industries, including
   wraparound services for oil and gas workers transitioning to new jobs.
   - $10 million over three years for adult education programs in green
   energy sectors, including Integrated Education and Training (IET) models
   and wraparound support services.

Together, we’re building a New Mexico where immigrant families are safer,
respected, and supported to thrive.

Stay tuned for more opportunities to take action—and thank you for being
part of this powerful movement.
MIL GRACIAS to EL CENTRO Poder y Acción & All Our Partners & Allies

New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, ACLU-NM, Indivisible SOS Santa Fe, NM
Conference of Catholic Bishops, Café Acción, Equality New Mexico, Semilla
Project, Santa Fe Dreamers Project, Immigrant Safety Act Coalition, NMDT,
EmPower NM, NM Coalition Against Domestic Violence, ENLACE Comunitario,
CABQ's Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Commission, CommonSpirit St.
Joseph’s Children, Mayor Tim Keller, Just Futures Law, Mijente, NM
Indepedent Community Colleges, National Skills Coalition, and to all the
allies who contacted the Governor, wrote letters, sent emails and
intervened on our behalf!
[image: Facebook]
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