DOJ Sues NM; State Profits from Wartime Oil Prices

This week on New Mexico in Focus, we hear local reaction to the Trump administration’s lawsuit against Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico over their immigration enforcement policies. Host Nash Jones speaks with Albuquerque City Council Joaquín Baca, co-sponsor of the “Safe Community Places” ordinance, to learn about what it does and how he feels now that the feds are pushing back. Then, Nash sits down with Democratic state Rep. Eleanor Chávez, the lead sponsor of the “Immigrant Safety Act,” to discuss the lawsuit, and how counties and prison companies worked to get around the law before it was even enacted. 

In February, a fire tore through the Forget Me Not Veteran’s Park in Socorro County, destroying critical facilities. Reporter Cailley Chella documents the site’s recovery, as a community rallies together to rebuild. Content warning: this segment includes discussion of suicide. 

The price of oil has skyrocketed this year due to the Trump administration’s ongoing war in Iran and fraught access to the critical Strait of Hormuz. And while New Mexicans have been feeling the squeeze at the gas station, the state of New Mexico has been quietly reaping millions in new revenue as the nation’s second highest producer of crude oil. It’s a difficult puzzle for the primary election’s crop of Democratic candidates who oppose the war, yet might want to use those wartime profits if elected as governor. Charles Sallee, director of the Legislative Finance Committee, and Trip Jennings, executive director of New Mexico In Depth, join Nash in the studio to break down the monetary and political impacts of the ongoing oil price fluctuations.

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Host: Nash Jones 

Segments: 
DOJ Sues Albuquerque Over Immigration Policies 
Correspondent: Nash Jones 
Guest: Joaquín Baca, Albuquerque City Councilor, District 2 

NM Rep. Eleanor Chávez on DOJ Immigration Suit 
Correspondent: Nash Jones 
Guest: NM Rep. Eleanor Chavez, D-Albuquerque 

Community Rebuilds Burned Veterans Shelter 
Correspondent: Cailley Chella 
Guests: 
Daun Medaris, Co-Founder, Forget Me Not Veteran’s Park 
Darlene Medaris, Co-Founder, Forget Me Not Veteran’s Park 
Roxanne Scott, Co-Founder, Forget Me Not Veteran’s Park 
Jason Burke, VFW Post 12184 
Amanda Gomez, Veteran 

The Budget and Political Impacts of Wartime Oil Prices 
Correspondent: Nash Jones 
Guests: 
Charles Sallee, Director, Legislative Finance Committee 
Trip Jennings, Executive Director, New Mexico In Depth