Migrants face a novel criminal charge in new border zone in New Mexico - By Morgan Lee and Valerie Gonzalez, Associated Press
Immigrants recently detained in southernmost New Mexico now face a novel criminal charge of breaching a national defense area, after the U.S. Army assumed oversight of a 170-mile strip along the southern U.S. border in cooperation with immigration authorities.
Federal prosecutors on Monday applied the additional charge for incursions into the recently designated New Mexico National Defense Area against migrants detained by Customs and Border Protection, as the military scales up troop deployments to a sliver of U.S. borderlands that is now being treated as an extension of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Huachuca in Arizona.
The Trump administration says those soldiers have the authority to temporarily apprehend trespassers, amid efforts to get around a federal law that prohibits U.S. troops from being used in domestic law enforcement on American soil.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighted the changes Friday while visiting troops at the New Mexico border.
"Any illegal attempting to enter that zone is entering a military base, a federally protected area," he said alongside a border wall, in a video posted social media. "You will be interdicted by U.S. troops and Border Patrol."
New Mexico-based ACLU attorney Rebecca Sheff warned that the military buffer zone "represents a dangerous erosion of the constitutional principle that the military should not be policing civilians." She expressed concern that U.S. citizens that live near the border could be prosecuted under the same provisions.
The charges against at least a half-dozen immigrants for unauthorized entry on military defense property were signed by U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, an Alamogordo, New Mexico-native sworn into office April 18.
Troops are prohibited from conducting civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil under the Posse Comitatus Act. An exception known as the military purpose doctrine allows it in some cases.
The newly militarized corridor includes the Roosevelt Reservation, a 60-foot-wide (18-meter-wide) federal buffer zone that ribbons along the border, except where it encounters tribal or privately owned land.
Control of the Roosevelt Reservation was transferred in mid-April from the Interior Department to the Defense Department in a presidential memo. The Interior Department also has designated areas beyond the Roosevelt Reservation for transfer to military oversight.
Since then, the Army has announced several military deployments to augment surveillance, expand roadways and shore up barriers at the border.
___
Gonzalez reported from McAllen, Texas.
Federal investigation into DWI racketeering scheme leads to eighth guilty plea - Colleen Heild,
The number of former Albuquerque Police Department officers admitting involvement in a massive extortion and bribery scheme grew to five on Tuesday with the guilty plea of a former member of the DWI Unit who took gifts and money for helping drunken driving cases get dismissed.
Harvey Johnson Jr., who joined APD in 2014, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Karen Molzen to one count of conspiring to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of 鈥渙fficial right.鈥� No sentencing date has been set.
Johnson was among the newer officers to the scheme, spending less than a year in the decades-long illegal operation, which ended with FBI raids on at least five locations in January 2024. One of those locations was Johnson鈥檚 home.
鈥淗e took responsibility for his very, very limited role,鈥� Johnson鈥檚 attorney, Joel R. Meyers, told the Journal. 鈥淗e鈥檚 looking forward to putting it behind him.鈥�
Federal prosecutors say the extortion scheme was created by prominent Albuquerque DWI defense attorney Thomas Clear III and his paralegal/investigator Rick Mendez, both of whom pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal racketeering charges and other offenses.
So far, five former APD officers and a former Bernalillo County sheriff鈥檚 deputy have pleaded guilty to federal charges as the FBI investigation continues.
Johnson鈥檚 plea agreement states his involvement came in 2023 鈥� the same year the FBI began its investigation into reports that Albuquerque-area law enforcement officers were deliberately missing court or failing to file necessary evidence against DWI offenders they arrested as a way to get the cases thrown out.
Johnson joined the DWI unit in 2021, but didn鈥檛 participate in the scheme until February 2023, federal records state.
His 15-page plea agreement noted that APD 鈥渃onspiring officers鈥� who had worked in the DWI Unit and were part of the scheme 鈥渨ould help and recruit and train the next generation of conspiring officers.鈥� Officers who recruited others in the DWI Unit at APD would receive an extra fee for each new 鈥渃onspiring officer.鈥�
In his plea agreement, Johnson stated that to steer DWI suspects to the law firm, he would withhold their required state Motor Vehicle Division paperwork after their arrest and deliver the documents to Mendez. Mendez would then contact the suspect and try to recruit him or her as a client by mentioning he had their paperwork.
The plea agreement Johnson signed stated that he typically got paid in cash after a DWI suspect retained Clear but also received Christmas and baby gifts from Mendez, who managed the payment arrangements.
Clear would ultimately go to court and obtain a dismissal, citing the arresting officer鈥檚 lack of cooperation or missing evidence.
It isn鈥檛 clear how many DWI offenders went free by hiring Clear, but the Bernalillo County District Attorney鈥檚 Office has had to dismiss more than 150 pending DWI cases that could be considered tainted because they involved the officers.
Former Las Cruces judge Cano, wife released on bond - Justin Garcia,
A federal judge released a former magistrate judge and his wife on $10,000 secured bonds Tuesday but barred them from renting to non-citizens as their cases progress.
Nancy Cano and Joel Cano, a former police officer and Do帽a Ana County magistrate judge, are charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence and tampering with evidence after federal agents accused them of interfering with a federal investigation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly unusual,鈥� Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Ysabel Armijo said about the case during the hearing.
The pair was arrested on April 25 as part of an investigation into three men accused of being involved with the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.
Joel Cano, who had served as a magistrate judge since 2011, in March after federal agents raided his home, as well the home of a family member living next door, on Feb. 28.
The unit was occupied by three men, including Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, 23, who now faces federal firearm charges. Ortega-Lopez was also accused of entering the United States by scaling a barbed-wire fence near Eagle Pass, Texas. He was detained then released by Border Patrol to limit overcrowding at a detention facility, according to court records.
Federal prosecutors said Ortega-Lopez had social media posts and tattoos that linked him to the Tren de Aragua gang. He eventually came into contact with the Canos through handyman work and was invited to stay on their property. In a court filing pertaining to a state judicial inquiry, Joel Cano said that Nancy Cano also provided assistance to the three men in complying with procedures in their pending immigration cases. Jail records show that Ortega-Lopez remains in jail ahead of a detention hearing.
Joel Cano has called the allegations 鈥渉ighly sensationalized and without merit鈥� and said the men investigated by the federal government had become 鈥渁 meaningful part of our extended family.鈥�
According to a criminal complaint, Joel Cano told federal investigators that he smashed a phone federal agents had been seeking with a hammer, while investigators believe that Nancy Cano plotted with Ortega-Lopez to delete a Facebook account. Both were sought as evidence, according to court records.
Armijo did not push for the Canos to be held in jail. Instead, she asked federal Judge Gregory Fouratt to impose conditions of release that barred the husband and wife from residing together. Armijo said she was worried about the two discussing the case together.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know if there鈥檚 another phone that could be destroyed,鈥� Armijo said.
Fouratt called the proposal form over substance and said the Canos had a constitutional right to be with each other as a married couple.
But Fouratt did inquire about the Canos鈥� wealth, suggesting they were some of the wealthiest defendants he had ever judged, and the couple鈥檚 rental properties in southern New Mexico.
Nancy Cano told the court that the couple rented eight units in the state, nearly all occupied.
Ultimately, Fouratt imposed a standard array of conditions of release, including no contact with other witnesses or defendants, no new charges and a requirement to stay in Do帽a Ana County.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no workable way,鈥� Fouratt said, referring to a condition that would prevent the couple from speaking to each other. 鈥淚鈥檇 be setting you up to fail.鈥�
Fouratt also said they must turn over their passports to the court and get rid of any guns, something the couple said they already did.
But Fouratt鈥檚 final condition of release was unique to the couple.
He told them they could not rent to non-citizens or people without permanent residence and that they must provide the court with information about their tenants to prove that they are all U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Fouratt did not explain why this condition was necessary.
The Canos did not oppose this condition. Fouratt鈥檚 ruling for a secured bond means the couple must pay the bond before leaving jail.
ABQ Mayor鈥檚 proposed budget calls for 1,100 cops - Rodd Cayton,
Mayor Tim Keller鈥檚 proposed budget returns to a recurring theme: Albuquerque needs to have more police officers on the streets.
The goes before a City Council committee Thursday, as the annual budget process starts its final stretch.
More money in the proposed budget 鈥� almost $287 million 鈥� is earmarked for the Albuquerque Police Department than any other city department.
The budget reflects an administration goal of employing 1,100 sworn APD officers. As of January, according to the budget, the department had 900 officers and 56 cadet graduates.
The APD ended the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years with 877 and 872 officers, respectively.
Keller also proposed funding for 1,100 officers last year, a number which department leaders called unrealistic, but was ultimately supported by councilors.
Department operational goals for next year include clearing 60% of crimes against people, responding to the most important calls within 10 minutes at least 85% of the time, conducting 200 traffic enforcement operations and having officers participate in 1,500 community engagement activities.
The administration is expecting 400,000 911 calls and a total of 550,000 calls for service next fiscal year, according to data published in the budget.
The budget proposes to raise the total number of police department employees, which includes staff other than sworn officers, to 1,887, up from 1,840 in the fiscal 2025 budget and the January total of 1,881.
Other line items for the police department include $25,000 for youth programs and outreach and $50,000 for a student loan forgiveness program.
Keller has proposed $23.29 million for Albuquerque Community Safety, which augments APD efforts by responding to service calls that don鈥檛 require armed law enforcement officers. The ACS workforce would increase by nine to 140. If the budget stands, that鈥檚 about $4 million more than ACS is getting this fiscal year.
Additionally, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has agreed to to assist APD in non-law enforcement roles.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue increase
Albuquerque Fire Rescue would receive $139.5 million, an increase of $12.5 million from the previous budget, under Keller鈥檚 proposal. That鈥檚 the largest of any city department, in terms of either dollars or as a percentage.
The fire department headcount would increase by six to 827. The proposed budget includes $1 million related to opening Fire Station No. 23, at 98th Street and Amole Mesa Avenue in Southwest Albuquerque.
Fire department goals include having the first engine respond to a structure fire within 5 minutes, 20 seconds at least 85% of the time, 218 hours of training for each firefighter and inspecting 7,500 buildings.
The proposed budget for the Animal Welfare Department is down by $106,000 to just over $16.5 million, with the employee headcount remaining at 158.
The council鈥檚 Committee of the Whole will conduct its first budget meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday to discuss social goals, which include public safety. Those wishing to speak during the public comment period must .
Final approval of the fiscal year 2026 budget is expected in May.
Betsy Arakawa, Gene Hackman's wife, died from hantavirus, autopsy confirms - Associated Press
Betsy Arakawa, the concert pianist who was married to actor Gene Hackman, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to an autopsy report released Tuesday that said that her lungs were heavy and congested.
Arakawa, 65, had fluid accumulation in her chest and mild hardening of the vessels that supplied blood to the heart and body, according to the autopsy reports
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings.
Arakawa tested negative for COVID-19 and the flu and showed no signs of trauma, the autopsy report said. Her carbon monoxide levels were within normal range, and she tested positive for caffeine and negative for alcohol and intoxicating drugs.
Arakawa's autopsy and toxicology reports were released two days after similar documents on Hackman's death were made public, confirming his main cause of death was heart disease.
The 95-year-old actor also was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease and likely had not eaten for a long time, according to his autopsy. He tested negative for hantavirus.
Records released earlier in the investigation showed Arakawa made phone calls and internet searches as she scoured for information on flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques.
Recently released videos outline the scope of the investigation into the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa.
Before they understood how Hackman and Arakawa died, authorities recorded themselves conducting interviews with workers and returning to Hackman's home to search for more evidence. Detectives searched the home in early March for Arakawa's laptop and other clues.
New Mexico judge orders remedial plan to improve public education for Native American students - By Morgan Lee, Associated Press
The state of New Mexico must create a remedial plan to improve K-12 education after falling short of providing an adequate public school education to Native American students and others from low-income households, a judge ruled Tuesday.
The order from state district court Judge Matthew Wilson builds on a landmark 2018 ruling that spurred a multibillion-dollar spending spree on public schools in New Mexico 鈥� without yet resolving underlying failures to meet state constitutional obligations to educate an array of at-risk students, including those studying English as a second language and students with disabilities.
"The defendants are ordered to come up with comprehensive remedial plan to address the continuing violation of at-risk students' constitutional rights," Wilson said. "A court-ordered plan would provide guidance to the legislature and the executive branches of government, particularly when making difficult budgetary decisions that need to survive political and economic shifts."
New Mexico historically has been at the bottom of the list when it comes to educational outcomes nationwide. Struggles to address lagging test scores and low graduation rates predated the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers have been pouring public resources into efforts to improve attendance, boost access to broadband internet, shore up school staffing and more amid a windfall in state government income from oil and natural gas production.
Filed more than a decade ago on behalf of students and school districts rooted in Native American and Hispanic communities, the litigation known as the Yazzie- Martinez case identified systemic issues within the state's education system.
The administration of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham acknowledged that there is room for improvement while highlighting a 62% increase in annual K-12 spending by state government since 2016 to $4.2 billion in the 2024, and the enactment of "dozens of new at-risk initiatives and legislation."
The judge rejected a request to put a state legislative agency on education and accountability at the helm of the remediation plan. He called instead for the state Public Education Department to work with the plaintiffs and commission a plan from an outside consultant or expert.
Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez in 2023 announced his support for the plaintiffs in efforts to make the state comply with its obligations to students.
The remedial plan could take five years to carry out and possibly resolve litigation.
The governor this month vetoed proposed legislation to expand specialized schools dedicated to Native American language and culture by declining to sign the bill without comment.
U.S. Rep. Stansbury on New Mexico fire season: 鈥榃e are not prepared鈥� 鈥�
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) on Tuesday chastised the United States Forest Service for refusing to publicly detail how staffing and other cuts could affect the federal response to wildfires expected soon in New Mexico and elsewhere.
Stansbury directed her comments to Forest Service Associate Deputy Chief Ellen Shultzabarger, during the latter鈥檚 testimony to the U.S. House Federal Lands Subcommittee, on which Stansbury and fellow New Mexico Democrat Rep. Teresa Leger Fern谩ndez serve. Shultzaberger was there speaking in favor of a to be returned to states and cities, when questions from committee Democrats steered the conversation toward the upcoming wildfire season.
鈥淲e are continuing to hire to have that goal of 11,300 operational firefighters, and we feel that we鈥檒l be ready for the fire season,鈥� Shultzabarger said.
鈥淲ith all due respect,鈥� Stansbury responded, 鈥淚鈥檝e been on the ground for the last couple of months, and Forest Service employees are terrified they鈥檙e going to lose their jobs, people are leaving in large numbers and thousands of people have been fired and not rehired. So while I appreciate that that is the company line here in this hearing, and I understand the position that you鈥檙e in, it鈥檚 just factually untrue. We are not prepared for this fire season.鈥�
Dozens of probationary Forest Service employees across New Mexico were fired or resigned since President Donald Trump took office. While judicial orders required the Trump administration to rehire those employees, many who tried to return were simply placed on paid administrative leave.
While Forest Service officials have stressed that the mass firings were not aimed at employees whose sole job is dealing with wildfire, some outside estimates suggest three-quarters of those fired had 鈥渞ed cards,鈥� meaning they could be called to help suppress a wildfire if one breaks out. A Colorado Democrat on the committee, Joe Neguse, estimated that 3,000 red card holders were fired.
Meanwhile, Forest Service employees are awaiting the results of a 鈥渞eduction-in-force鈥� restructuring process that could take out another chunk of employees who are not on probationary status.
Forest Service Associate Deputy Chief Ellen Shultzabarger, left, stands up after speaking before the Federal Lands Subcommittee on in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) Asked about Stansbury鈥檚 comments after the meeting, Shultzabarger did not answer, instead deferring to Forest Service spokesperson Kyle Earnest, who did not provide further comment.
Source New Mexico caught up with Stansbury after the hearing in Washington and asked her about the upcoming wildfire season, which forecasts predict could be dire and federal stonewalling on what used to be basic information.
The following conversation took place during a short walk from the Capitol and has been edited for clarity and concision.
Source: Do you have any sense at all of what we could be looking at with reduction in force in New Mexico forests, in terms of employees lost?
MS: We have not received any specific plans. The New Mexico national forests have been heavily impacted by all the mass firings that have happened. The probationary firing that happened at the beginning of the DOGE effort resulted in dozens and dozens, both senior and junior, Forest Service employees, receiving notice that they鈥檝e been fired. A lot of senior Forest Service officials did take the initial deferred departure offer, and we know that there is a RIF restructuring that is coming, but there鈥檚 been nothing released publicly, and there鈥檚 been nothing released internally.
And so when I was home in New Mexico last week, during my town halls, I had Forest Service employees actually come to my town halls and speak to me privately about what鈥檚 happening. There鈥檚 a complete culture of fear. Nobody has any idea what鈥檚 going on. A lot of people are afraid they鈥檙e going to lose their jobs. 鈥e鈥檝e been heavily and disproportionately impacted. So we don鈥檛 have specific numbers, but we know that the entire workforce is in chaos and struggling right now.
Do you know the status of the, including the one that鈥檚 in the Cibola National Forest office, which is on the ?
I don鈥檛 have any specific details. I mean, one of the things that I think has been really troubling about this entire DOGE exercise is that they claim that they鈥檙e doing it with transparency, and yet they refuse to come testify in front of Congress. They don鈥檛 even send political appointees to testify. Today, they sent a career staffer rather than a political appointee. And they transmit no information to congressional offices. And, you know, I say this all the time, but this is not normal.
In past administrations, regardless of what side of the aisle you are on, it has always been the norm and the practice that if you鈥檙e going to make a major change to a district, you notify the congressional offices, you notify the local officials, you notify towns and counties in the state, because all of them are impacted, and there鈥檚 zero communication at all between the administration DOG and local authorities, so we have no idea what they鈥檙e doing.
Do you think we鈥檒l learn more in the president鈥檚 budget to be released this week about how those cuts will affect the New Mexico forests?
I don鈥檛 know. The word on the street is that the budget that will be transmitted this week is what they鈥檙e calling a skinny budget. So it will say, you know, [the] Forest Service鈥檚 budget is XYZ. It鈥檚 cut by XYZ amount and these programs, but I doubt it鈥檒l have the level of detail that you see in a more fully fledged budget, where it describes in detail what their plans are.
We ran into New Mexico State Forester Laura McCarthy near the Capitol, who told us she was here 鈥榣obbying鈥� but would not say for what bill or issue. Do you know?
She鈥檚 here? Wow, OK, I鈥檓 going to text her. I鈥檓 very good friends with Laura. My background is in water resources management, and she and I collaborated a lot on forest and water management in previous lives. So no, I don鈥檛 know what she鈥檚 up to here. But what I can say in general is that both states and tribes have been heavily impacted by the funding freezes. In fact, just yesterday, Mescalero Apache had a huge forest greenhouse project that had been on hold since the beginning of the Trump administration because they had frozen a [Bureau of Indian Affairs] grant they had received, and it was critical to growing seedlings for reforestation after these big fires, and they just found out yesterday that it had gotten unfrozen.
So my guess is that the states and tribes and local authorities are trying to track down grants and federal funding. I think folks are very, very concerned about the upcoming fire season, as I mentioned in the hearing. We have the lowest snow pack in recorded history. And the thing to understand about that is it means that both the river is drying up already, which is unseasonably early, but it also means soil moisture and vegetation moisture is very low, which means basically the entire state鈥檚 a tinder box for the fire season. So if and when fires hit us, we鈥檙e at a very, very, extremely high risk for a really catastrophic fire season. And as you know, our communities are still reeling and recovering from the last major fires, and we can鈥檛 do it without support from the Forest Service, FEMA and these programs that they鈥檙e talking about cutting. It鈥檚 a bad situation.
The Cibola Forest has . Do you think those uranium mines could become operational?
Well, this administration is absolutely moving forward with stripping away protections for permitting and for national forests. They just issued guidance last week that would reduce all federal permitting to 28 days. In the case of, for example, Mount Taylor 鈥� which is not only set aside as national tourist land, but it鈥檚 also a sacred site for the pueblos and tribes of New Mexico 鈥� you can鈥檛 do an environmental and cultural review in 28 days. That鈥檚 just going to result in lawsuits. I believe that the administration is going to do everything it can to green-light mining and extractive activities on sensitive lands, and we will fight them every step of the way.
Complaint alleges Gallup-McKinley Schools superintendent violated state ethics laws 鈥� New Mexico In Depth
Gallup-McKinley County Schools Superintendent Mike Hyatt is under scrutiny for alleged violations of state procurement and government ethics laws, following a with the New Mexico State Ethics Commission.
Submitted on behalf of Stride, Inc. and its online education subsidiary, K12 Virtual Schools, the complaint alleges Hyatt sought a $235,000-per-year salary as Stride鈥檚 Vice President for Academic Innovation, while the company had an active contract with the school district鈥攁nd when he was not hired for the position, Hyatt sought to terminate that contract.
K12 provides online education for the district鈥檚 Destinations Career Academy of New Mexico.
鈥淪uperintendent Hyatt is apparently knowingly and willfully abusing his public position, at the expense of ~4,200 New Mexico students鈥� who are enrolled in online schooling, the complaint alleged.
In an email to New Mexico In Depth, Monday, Hyatt refuted the allegations, saying the company, not he, behaved in 鈥渋llegal鈥� and 鈥渦nethical鈥� ways, because of inadequate student-teacher ratios for their online courses.
鈥淲e have recently found out the illegal [and] unethical practices of Stride and how they are profiting and increasing revenue by breaking the law in our online program,鈥� Hyatt wrote. 鈥淲e notified them of their wrongdoing and had previously notified them to not break the law when it comes to students teacher ratios.鈥�
The ethics complaint letter alleges that Hyatt potentially violated the New Mexico Government Conduct Act (GCA) and state procurement code. 鈥淭he GCA has specific prohibitions against a public officer or employee seeking employment with a contractor who has a contract with the public officer or employee鈥檚 employer,鈥� according to the complaint. 鈥淭he Procurement Code similarly prohibits an employee who is participating directly or indirectly in the procurement process to become, or to be, while such an employee, the employee of any person or business contracting with the governmental body by whom the employee is employed.鈥�
The complaint was filed by attorney Laura E. Sanchez of the law firm Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb, P.A., in Albuquerque.
The New Mexico State Ethics Commission declined to comment on the complaint or its investigation plans. On Monday, Deputy Director Amelia Bierle told New Mexico In Depth in an email that the Commission does not comment on alleged ethics violations before investigations are concluded.
Gallup-McKinley signed an Educational Products & Services Contract with K12 in June 2020. Hyatt was district superintendent.
According to the company鈥檚 complaint letter, Hyatt applied for the company鈥檚 VP position on December 11, 2024 and was initially interviewed on Jan. 21, 2025.
On Feb. 21, the company鈥檚 senior vice president of schools, Adam Hawf, spoke with Hyatt by phone to let him know he had not been hired.
鈥淢r. Hawf called Superintendent Hyatt, as opposed to issuing him a formal letter, due to the sensitivity of the relationship and fear that Superintendent Hyatt would adversely affect the District鈥檚 relationship with the Contractor,鈥� the complaint letter states.
In his email to New Mexico In Depth, Monday, Hyatt confirmed, 鈥淚 applied for a job there in 2024.鈥�
Less than a month after the call with Hawf, at a routine monthly meeting with the company on March 10, Hyatt鈥檚 demeanor had become 鈥渃ompletely different than it had been in past meetings,鈥� according to the complaint letter. 鈥淸T]he meeting was hostile [鈥 instead of amicable and collaborative.鈥�
On April 1, Hyatt sent a breach of contract and termination letter to the company, citing several alleged contract breaches, including inadequate student-teacher ratios, teacher licensure, and problems with student achievement in Destinations Career Academy students. Three days later, Gallup-McKinley issued a to find a new contractor.
The termination letter violated a 45-day 鈥渃ure鈥� period for contractual disputes, the company contends. The complaint further alleges that Hyatt directed the district to issue the new request for proposals for virtual education services while Stride鈥檚 contract was still in effect, potentially violating its exclusivity provision.
Hyatt knew previously about student-teacher ratio concerns, according to the complaint letter.
鈥淪uperintendent Hyatt鈥檚 conduct after he was denied employment 鈥� shows that he is potentially abusing his authority, and not acting in the public interest,鈥� the ethics complaint states. 鈥淗e was aware of the alleged student-teacher ratios and the licensure issues prior to submitting his application for employment with the Contractor. He also served as a positive reference for the Contractor with the New Mexico PED [Public Education Department] on February 6, 2025 and for Ohio as recently as February 25, 2025, despite knowledge of the concerns he later raised in the letter to the Contractor on April 1, 2025.鈥�
The firm submitted 18 supporting documents with the ethics complaint, including emails and correspondence, the termination letter, and the request for proposals.
The company has tried to address Hyatt鈥檚 concerns within the 45-day 鈥渃ure period鈥� set out in the contract but has been hindered by Gallup-McKinley since receiving the termination letter, according to the complaint. Examples include the district delaying teacher criminal history fingerprint clearances and refusing to sign off on teachers鈥� license extensions.
鈥淥ut of desperation they are attempting to deflect the harm they have done [鈥 and are trying to create a narrative that I by myself am trying to break a contract for personal reasons,鈥� Hyatt wrote in his email to the news organization. 鈥淣othing could be further from the truth.鈥�
New Mexico lawmakers brace for steep cuts to federal funding 鈥� Austin Fisher,
New Mexico lawmakers this week rolled out a plan to help prepare for potential hefty reductions in federal funding.
The Legislative Council, the group of state representatives and senators that oversees all lawmaking between New Mexico鈥檚 legislative sessions, voted unanimously Monday afternoon at its first meeting following this year鈥檚 session to create a new panel called the Federal Infrastructure Funds and Stability Interim Committee.
House Speaker Javier Mart铆nez and Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, both Albuquerque Democrats, told Source NM after the meeting that the committee, in a nutshell, will examine potential federal funding cuts and consider ways to adapt to them if they become real.
For example, the committee will look at proposals to cut funding to , a child care and early education program. This week, U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luj谩n (D-N.M.) joined 40 other senators in a to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. demanding he immediately unfreeze Head Start funding and reinstate early childhood education workers who have either been laid off or furloughed as result of of the preschools, which rely on federal funding.
Similarly, the new legislative committee will track funds for , the safety-net health insurance program for people with low incomes, Mart铆nez said. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham she might call a special session in the fall, should the state need to address federal shortcomings in programs such as Medicaid. The state also is also challenging federal cuts.
Its members will also consider the Trump administration鈥檚 proposal to abolish the federal , Stewart said. Federal funding accounts for 30% of New Mexico鈥檚 education budget, she said, including money for special education.
Stewart said the committee has no historical precedent in the New Mexico Legislature, noting 鈥渢his is an ahistorical presidency.鈥� The committee is intended to last for the remainder of the year, but could extend beyond that if needed, she said.
Mart铆nez told the Legislative Council the new committee will not duplicate the work being done by the Legislative Finance Committee and other legislative panels but, rather, supplement it with a 鈥減roactive approach to deal with any potential reductions in federal funding.鈥�
鈥淚t will be what I consider to be a very nuts-and-bolts committee, with a tailored, specific focus,鈥� he said.
Mart铆nez appointed Rep. Patricia Lundstrom (D-Grants) as the panel鈥檚 co-chair from the House of Representatives, and Stewart appointed Sen. William Soules (D-Las Cruces) as the co-chair from the Senate. Attempts to reach Lundstrom and Soules for comment through spokespeople for their respective chambers were unsuccessful as of publication time.
Other members of the new committee include Reps. Susan Herrera (D-Embudo), Micaela Lara Cadena (D-Las Cruces), Mark Duncan (R-Kirtland) and Cathrynn Brown (R-Carlsbad); and Sens. George Mu帽oz (D-Gallup), Linda Trujillo (D-Santa Fe), James Townsend (R-Artesia) and Minority Whip Pat Woods (R-Broadview).
The panel is expected to hold an organizational meeting in May, Mart铆nez said.