MAYDAY Marches Across New Mexico Honor Workers and Immigrant Communities

This Friday, May 1, International Workers’ Day, El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos, Somos un Pueblo Unido and Semilla, together with allied community-based organizations and elected officials, honor the workers who sustain New Mexico communities, economy, and daily life. On this day, the community raises its voice with pride and dignity to reaffirm a clear message: the fight will continue to keep families together and defend their right to live with dignity, safety, and without fear. These groups organized May Day marches and events today in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Farmington, Artesia, and Hobbs.

Speakers at the events expressed pride in the legacy built in New Mexico by immigrant workers—a legacy forged over decades through the economic, civic, and cultural contributions of immigrant communities. Immigrant workers have always been at the forefront of this movement, sustaining communities in the most difficult times, caring for families, driving the economy, and defending New Mexico’s collective dignity.

In New Mexico, immigrant workers make up approximately 13% of the workforce in key industries including oil and gas, construction, hospitality, and home healthcare, many of which already face labor shortages. New Mexico’s immigrant population contributes approximately $1.4 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, with $554.6 million of that amount supporting public schools, hospitals, roads, and more. Latinos, many of whom are immigrants, represent 43% of the state‘s oil and gas workforce- showing that immigrant workers punch about their weight in an industry that fuels New Mexico’s state budget.

In the current political climate and with the rise of violent and increasingly lethal ICE enforcement, many families live with constant fear: fear of going to the store, fear of taking their children to school, fear of being detained in broad daylight. Yet in New Mexico, a fundamental lesson has also been learned: when the community is targeted, immigrant leaders continue to organize and rise together— real change only happens through that collective action.

At the state level, Somos un Pueblo Unido, El CENTRO, The Semilla Project, NMILC, the ACLU-NM together with allied organizations, achieved important advances during the 2026 legislative session to protect our communities. These victories include the passage of laws that strengthen the safety of immigrant families, limit collaboration between federal immigration authorities and local agencies, protect the privacy of our data, and permanently establish the Office of New Americans to support the workforce. Key investments were also secured to expand access to education, training, and better economic opportunities. Building upon decades of passing sanctuary policies, in the past year, El CENTRO also spearheaded and passed the “Safer Community Spaces” ordinance in Bernalillo County and Albuquerque.

Under the banner of “here we live, here we work, and here we stay,” today’s events not only commemorated this year’s organizing wins but reiterated a commitment to the future: one is which every worker in New Mexico has access to good jobs, training, safety, and economic security and that communities can live free from fear, with strong protections from detention, deportation and abuse.

“Our legacy is not abstract—it is the result of the constant work of entire generations who have built it with the blood, sweat, and tears of our people. Thanks to that unity and that struggle, we have achieved important advances in protections and inclusive policies. While much has been accomplished, it is still not enough, because when immigrant families are attacked, our entire community is affected. This community is essential to the economy and future of our beloved New Mexico.”– Teresa Hernandez, member of El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos

“Our families and workers deserve to live in peace and without fear. In New Mexico, we are coming together to continue building a future rooted in dignity, unity, and respect for the work immigrants do, work that sustains our communities and the well being of our entire state. In New Mexico and all across this country, every family belongs and everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive.”– Marcela Díaz, Executive Director, Somos Un Pueblo Unido

“May Day is deeply personal to me because it represents the strength, resilience, and dignity of working people, especially immigrant families who have long been the backbone of our communities. At The Semilla Project, we see every day how workers, youth, and families are organizing not just for fair wages, but for respect, safety, and opportunity. This day reminds us that our struggles are connected, whether it is fighting for workers’ rights, immigrant justice, or climate justice. May Day is about all of us. It is a call to stand together, to uplift one another, and to continue building a future where every person can thrive with dignity.”– Carolina Carrillo, Statewide Organizer at The Semilla Project.

“At NMILC, many of us come from these same communities. We have mixed-status families. Every day, we hear the real impact of fear, family separation, and policies that fail to recognize our humanity. But we also see something stronger: we see organizing, we see community, we see people lifting each other up and refusing to stay silent.And that is what May Day represents. It is not just a day to remember history—it is a moment to keep building the future.”– Jessica Inéz Martínez Director of Policy and Coalition Building at the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC).

“Enlace Comunitario recognizes and celebrates the hard work immigrants put in to shape a healthy, inclusive, and equitable New Mexico. With our communities facing relentless harassment and targeted attacks by the federal government, we want to underscore the important roles that equitable local policies and collective community power-building play in protecting our neighbors in need. We know that a united and informed community can reduce the pervasive fear that our immigrant neighbors are facing and can empower each of us to stand in strong solidarity with them—in workplaces, in schools, and in community spaces. Together, we are stronger; together, we will keep one another safe.”–Enlace Comunitario Leadership Team.

“This May 1st is not a celebration; it is a moment of reflection and an urgent call to action. Immigrant families sustain our communities with their work, their culture, and their dignity, yet they continue to be persecuted and stripped of their rights,” said Betty Villa from the Human Rights Center in Albuquerque, Border Network for Human Rights. “At the Border Network, we work to educate, organize, and mobilize our communities because we believe that every human being has the same dignity and the same rights. That is why we demand comprehensive immigration reform that recognizes our contributions and guarantees equality, freedoms, and full protections for all people. We are not asking for privileges; we are demanding justice.”– Betty Villa, BNHR Border Network for Human Rights Center

“At Encuentro, we witness every day how education helps immigrant families advance. That’s why we say: here we live, we work, and we’re here to stay. This May Day, we stand united to defend that progress, safeguard those opportunities, and uphold the dignity of our community.”– Ilse Grijalva Lastiri, Communications Manager, Encuentro