El CENTRO is a grassroots, Latino immigrant-led organization based in Central New Mexico that works with Latino immigrant communities and allies to defend, strengthen, and advance the rights of our community.
OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES 2022!
Background:
New Mexico essential workers and families continue to struggle financially due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A new statewide poll in December found one-third of Latinos, including immigrants, are still struggling to survive economically. They experienced lost income and increased debt and many were excluded from government stimulus rebates and unemployment benefits. These obstacles, made worse by the recent Omicron wave and closures at schools and businesses, are making it extremely difficult for low-income families to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.
In 2022, state legislators will decide how to spend a $1.6 billion surplus in the state’s general fund, a surplus made possible by the hard work of essential immigrant workers in the oil and gas industry. They’ll also allocate$700 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help speed up the state’s health and economic recovery.
The Legislature must allocate funding for emergency economic relief for low-wage workers, rural residents, and immigrant families who were excluded from traditional relief and who have fallen far behind the rest of New Mexico. We also need to make it easier for essential low-wage workers to vote and have a say in future budget issues.
Priorities:
Allocate $15.6 million of ARPA funds to the Human Services Department (HSD) to provide $600 to 26,000 low-income adults who did not receive the three federal stimulus rebates and New Mexico’s 2021 state stimulus.Due to their mixed immigration or tax status, over 30,000 immigrant or very low-income families were unable to access the three federal stimulus rebates, the state’s tax rebate, unemployment benefits, or paid sick leave when exposed to COVID-19. That means a family with three (3) children easily missed out on $40,000-$50,000 in cash relief during the last two years.
Provide a one-time $600 rebate to the lowest income tax filers who qualify for the state’s Working Families Tax Credit & the Low- & Middle- income taxpayers exemption. Research shows the most effective ways to provide relief to families most impacted by the pandemic, reduce poverty and re-circulate money in local economies is through more equitable tax policy. The New Mexico Legislature enacted a similar rebate during the 2021 legislative session and about 160,000 households qualified.
Reform anti-donation clause in NM Constitution to allow our government to provide crucial support to families in need. The outdated anti-donation clause makes it difficult for local governments to use state funding for the public good. Voters should be able help eliminate roadblocks to essential infrastructure projects, disaster relief and community well-being.
Expand voting rights so low-wage workers have a stronger voice in NM. NM should ensure low-wage workers and people of color in rural communities can vote by making it easier to register online, implementing a back-end automatic voter registration (AVR) system, improving our mail-in voting system, and allowing early voting until the Sunday before Election Day.
The State of NM has appropriated $5 million for economic relief caused by the Public Health Emergency
TO APPLY CLICK HERE OR FOLLOW THIS LINK: https://www.yes.state.nm.us/yesnm/cares
FOR FAQ Click HERE
CABQ Community Impact Fund for Families Excluded From COVID Relief and Benefits”
More information on the fund HERE:
TO APPLY CLICK HERE OR FOLLOW THIS LINK: https://fund.uptogether.org/albuquerque
For a list of community resources during COVID-19 visit the following link created by Encuentro NM: https://bit.ly/2UGUPrI
Emergency Mortgage Assistance Fund: Help for families that do not qualify for unemployment or government assistance
Department of Workforce Solutions Fact Sheet: COVID-19
Know your rights during this state of emergency! Our friends at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty Want you to know these 5 things about your rights during COVID-19:
The public charge rule went into effect on February 24, 2020! Here are some important facts about this rule:
Your Participation in the 2020 Census is essential for the good of our families!
Know your rights if you are an employer who has received a (No-Match Letter) from the Social Security Administration office or if you are an employee and your employer has received this letter.
Sign Up Here to Request Our Civil Rights Workshop
Now more than ever, El CENTRO finds the inherent value of our communities becoming a collective, conscious, free and powerful force dedicated to the promotion of human rights. We seek to empower communities through interactive know-your-rights workshops. The objective is to provide essential tools for different communities to defend their civil rights, hold law enforcement/ICE accountable and fight against the criminalization of our communities. Some of the tools involve but are not restricted to:
*information about your rights with law enforcement and federal immigration agents
*dialogue about how we are fighting back and organizing against deportation/enforcement programs;
*emergency family plans
DOWNLOAD OUR TOOLKIT TO KNOW HOW WE CAN PROTECT OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
El CENTRO has prepared the following toolkit in collaboration with other organizations across the state and that nation. This toolkit package includes know-your-rights information, family emergency plan form, power of attorney, and “rights cards.” Now more than ever, it is important to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS in order to continue protecting our families and communities.
Know the facts about New Mexico’s Two-Tiered Driver License System & New Changes Taking Place in 2019:
ATTENTION employers and workers: How to prepare for I-9 inspections with ICE if ICE comes to your job.
Click here to read the toolkit for employers and employees put together by the National Employment Law Project and the National Immigration Law Center on how to prepare for I-9 inspections and if ICE arrives at your work.
IMPORTANT: Visit These Resources to Keep Up with the Latest DACA News
Please, refer to the following link for resources and information in New Mexico: http://nmilc.org/daca.
Also! check this document that explains your rights and next possible steps if you were elegible for DACA or a DACA beneficiary.
NATIONAL RESOURCES POST-DACA
Click here to learn about options for beneficiaries of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Our Accomplishments
El CENTRO’s members have organized tirelessly since our inception to improve the lives of low-wage workers and families in New Mexico. Some examples of our victories include:
- El CENTRO has worked to mitigate the impact of the broken immigration system by successfully passing policies to ensure that local law enforcement does not overstep its authority and enforce federal immigration laws.
- As a key partner in the NM Minimum Wage Coalition, we have worked to raise the minimum wage at the state level as well as in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.
- El CENTRO has been at the the forefront of campaigns in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County to fight back against immigration enforcement programs and protect our communities. We drastically lowered the number of deportations in Albuquerque by working to modify policies at the Metropolitan Detention Center to minimize entanglement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Learn more about our accomplishments
Although we are proud of our accomplishments, together we can so much more! Donate today and become a member to continue to build upon our proud legacy of passing model policies and integrating immigrants into the mainstream.
Upcoming Events
Contact Us
El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos
714 4th St SW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
information_elcentro@yahoo.com
505.246.1627
