After 100 days, Trump’s impact on NM. And after nearly 2 years, NMiF welcomes a new host

I’m incredibly proud that this week’s show is my first as host of New Mexico in Focus. It’s timely and important, aligns with my journalistic values, and I think you’ll take a lot from it. As the Trump administration has carried out former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s strategy to “flood the zone” during its first 100 days, many of you surely are feeling overwhelmed in your efforts to keep up with all the changes and how they’re showing up here. While cameras and teleprompters may be new to me, the skills I built just down the road at KUNM public radio definitely transfer over to my new role at NMPBS. I’m still committed to breaking down complexity in a digestible way, lifting New Mexicans’ voices with a focus on impacts and ensuring public media fulfills its mission as an accessible public service. And I believe our team accomplished all of that for you this week.

We tackle some of the most salient issues the president has prioritized since returning to the White House and how those federal changes are playing out in New Mexico.

Immigration is among those issues. We sit down with Valeria Garcia Tavarez, survivor advancement senior attorney at the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, to wrap our heads around deportations, detention and military enforcement at the border. We hear about how it feels to be living in New Mexico without legal status right now, what happened to the 48 New Mexicans who were unaccounted for after an ICE raid in March, the status of New Mexico’s detention centers and what firing immigration judges across the country means for the deportation system. Speaking of which, how does deportation work, exactly? We get into it.

Civil liberties and trans rights are other issues pinging on Trump’s radar. You’ll hear from Equality New Mexico Executive Director Marshall Martinez and Deanna Warren, reproductive rights and gender equity attorney for the local ACLU affiliate, about how local communities they serve have been faring since Jan. 20. In New Mexico, we have some progressive laws and policies on the books that conflict with some of Trump’s agenda. The state has its own Civil Rights Act and protects access to abortion and gender-affirming care, for example. We wanted to understand the strength of those state laws in the face of the recent onslaught of executive orders. We also talk about protections both orgs believe New Mexico urgently needs despite stagnating in this year’s legislative session: digital privacy.

Federal layoffs and funding freezes are top of mind for lots of folks, too. If you tuned in last week, you heard Senior Producer Lou DiVizio’s conversation with Republican congressional candidate Steve Jones, who gave us his characteristically colorful reflections on the GOP’s approach to gutting federal agencies and funding. Jones told Lou that the Trump administration is “trying to save the patient by lopping off limbs.” This week, Lou gets a Democratic perspective on the DOGE cuts from former state lawmaker Bill McCamley, who also headed up the state’s Workforce Solutions Department during the pandemic. You’ll find his interview gets quite colorful, as well. “Gold coins don’t come out of the rearends of unicorns at the end of rainbows,” McCamley said.

All that, and a new host!

In Focus has been without a permanent host since Gene Grant’s departure almost two years ago. So, while you may have gotten used to a rotation of producers stepping in to helm the show – Jeff Proctor, Lou Divizio and previously, Laura Paskus – and have likely appreciated their work as the show has grown its news analysis, I know many still think of In Focus as Gene’s show. And rightfully so! He guided New Mexicans through the week’s news for nearly two decades, and helped make In Focus a staple of the local news landscape. He’s a legend and is missed in this space.

I understand that while getting in front of the camera after years on radio is a big change for me, seeing me in the anchor chair from here on is going to be a big one for you. Change can be hard, and it takes patience. But I’m hopeful you’ll give me the chance to build a relationship with you over the weeks and earn your trust as we work to understand what’s happening across our state together.

– Nash Jones, Host