State’s Mental Health Care Rankings Continue Worsen; State Will Spend Millions To Rebuild Mental Health Care System Destroyed In 2014 By Governor Susana Martinez; New Mexico’s “Behavioral Health Care Reforms” Will Take Time To Implement

Posted on July 24, 2025 by Pete Dinelli

During the 60-day 2025 New Mexico legislative session, the legislature enacted what was referred to as the Behavioral Health Reform Package. Lawmakers earmarked more than $555 million to fund an overhaul the state’s system for mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.

On February 27, 2025 Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Behavioral Health Reform Package into law. The legislation consists of 3 Senate Bills that make sweeping changes to how New Mexico’s mental health and drug abuse treatment programs are run statewide.

The following is a description of each of the enacted Senate Bills signed into law by Governor Lujan Grisham:

Senate Bill 1: This bill creates the Behavioral Health Trust Fund for the state of New Mexico to support mental health and substance abuse treatment, prevention, and intervention programs throughout the state. The behavioral health trust fund will be invested by the State Investment Council. The trust fund will distribute 5% of its annual value to fund programs and support investments in necessary infrastructure, technology, and workforce development to facilitate the expansion of services. The fund could also help New Mexico unlock matching funds from federal, local, and private sources.

One major change made to Senate Bill 1 was removing a $1 billion appropriation for the new proposed trust fund. Money for the new fund was provided in a separate budget bill during the 60-day session and was for $555 million. The Behavioral Health Trust Fund, created by Senate Bill 1, aims to provide a sustainable funding source for regional behavioral health initiatives.

Senate Bill 2: This bill allocates $200 million to expand regional behavioral health services such as crisis response and outpatient care. The bill appropriates the funding to the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts and various state agencies to set up a new framework for behavioral health programs statewide. Senate Bill 2 was not part of the signing ceremony but never the less is part of the behavioral health reform package and became a part of general fund appropriations by the legislature.

Senate Bill 3: This bill requires regional plans be crafted for providing mental health and substance abuse treatment. The plans would be overseen by the state judicial branch and would include time lines and regional funding priorities. Senate Bill 3 aims to improve oversight and accountability for how behavioral health funds are spent.

NEW MENTAL HEALTH CARE MODEL

Under the enacted Behavioral Health Reform Package, the new mental health care model will put the State Judiciary in charge of planning while leaving the state Health Care Authority largely in charge of overseeing funding. This is a significant change from the former system which largely fell under the Governor’s executive branch jurisdiction. The legislation enacted increases accountability by requiring regional plans outlining priorities for providing mental health and substance abuse treatment. The new trust fund will provide annual funding to support the regional plans, which would largely be overseen by the state’s judiciary.

Top judicial branch officials during the 2025 legislature said New Mexico’s courts were willing to shoulder a larger role under a legislative plan to overhaul the state’s mental health and substance abuse treatment system. During a February 12, 2025 meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) Director Karl Reifsteck acknowledged the judicial branch was not a key player in the state’s behavioral health system. Reifsteck said the court system was willing to take on a larger role and had already begun preliminary work on how it would implement the changes proposed by the legislative package of bills. Reifsteck said this:

“This is not a role the courts requested, but it’s one we’re happy to accept if that’s the Legislature’s decision”.

Reifsteck said the judicial branch would act “very, very quickly” to implement the legislation.

The legislation signed by the governor took effect June 20, the date specified by state law for legislation approved during this year’s session that does not carry a different effective date. The spending infusion of $555 million is a key part of a new regional-based approach to behavioral health, after state spending in recent years failed to significantly move the needle.

CHANGES IN COMPETENCY LAWS FOR CIVIL MENTAL HEALTH COMMITEMENTS

During the 2025 legislative session, the New Mexico legislature also enacted the Omnibus Crime Package. The crime package passed by lawmakers is House Bill 8 and it too contained various criminal laws enacted. It includes provisions dealing with fentanyl trafficking, auto theft and drugged driving (DWI). It also includes outlawing the devices used to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons. The crime package also made major changes to how New Mexico handles criminal defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial and adding a dangerousness evaluation in such cases and giving judges more options for treatment programs.

House Bill 4 is the criminal competency legislation which was part of the enacted Bill 8 Omnibus Crime Package. It gives prosecutors more options to involuntarily commit people into a locked psychiatric facility if they are found to be dangerous to themselves or others and unable to stand trial. The courts will now have more options when dealing with suspects who are deemed incompetent to stand trial instead of simply releasing them back on the streets.

Under House Bill 4, when a court determines that a defendant is not competent to proceed in a criminal case the court shall determine if the defendant is dangerous and with a process for evaluating whether criminal defendants are competent to stand trial established. House Bill 4 specifically requires that “competency evaluators” determine whether defendants are dangerous to themselves or others. After a competency hearing, and if a defendant is found not to be competent, a judge then decides whether the defendant poses a threat. Based on that determination, a defendant is either ordered to attend an assisted outpatient treatment program or be sent to the state Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

State Representative Christine Chandler, sponsor of House Bill 4, said this:

“What we created was a pathway, two pathways. One for those who are seriously ill and potentially dangerous, and the other pathways for individuals who may get treatment and have their issues addressed in a more appropriate way than it has been over the many years.”

The link to review House Bill 4 is here: https://legiscan.com/NM/text/HB4/2025

NEW MEXICO HEALTH CARE RANKINGS WORSEN

On June 25, the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee convened in Taos, New Mexico. Amongst the topics on the committee agenda were New Mexico’s Mental health care system and the impending changes mandated by the Behavioral Health Reform Package legislation and signed into law.

Amid the impending changes in the State Mental Health Care system discussed by the committee, a legislative report was presented to the Legislative Finance Committee. The legislative report comes a mere few months after the 60-day legislative session which ended on March 22 in which lawmakers focused on improving the state’s behavioral health system, including establishing a trust fund to spin off money annually for initiatives. It also follows the inaugural meeting the week of June 23 of the new Behavioral Health Executive Committee tasked with overseeing an overhaul of the system, an effort aimed at addressing regional gaps and barriers in care.

The report showed the state’s rankings in key behavioral health measures decreased from 2023 to 2024. Those measures include overall mental illness prevalence, in which New Mexico dropped from 36th to 44th in the nation, and an increase in substance abuse disorder among both adults and minors. According to the legislative report, the state’s behavioral health rankings have become worse despite significant investments by the Legislature in recent years. The Legislature approved a $100 million advance for the new Behavioral Health Trust Fund and other allocations for the year during the session. It also approved more than $2.3 billion in Medicaid provider rate increases, including close to $90 million for behavioral health providers, to improve access.

Notwithstanding all the funding, the report given to the Legislative Finance Committee found that New Mexico’s rankings nationally in key outcomes dropped between 2023 and 2024. The declines reported were:

New Mexico dropped from 36th to 44th among states when it comes to overall mental illness prevalence.
For adult substance use disorder, the state dropped from 32nd to 49th.
For youth with major depressive disorder, the state dropped from 42nd to 46th.
For youth with substance use disorder, the state dropped from 47th to 51st.

The report states:

“Even with the significant investment in the last few years, there is little evidence that outcomes are improving,”

Las Cruces Democrat Representative Nathan Small, a who chairs the Legislative Finance Committee, said a key takeaway from the report is that the need for behavioral health services in New Mexico is “rapidly increasing” and “really reaching crisis levels.” Small said this:

“For me, one of the most important things is that we face up to our challenges. … We don’t run from our problems.”

Asked whether taxpayers should be concerned about the drop in behavioral health rankings despite the Legislature’s investments, Small said he shared the “bedrock expectation” to see results.

Representative Small noted that in the past 12 months, nearly 2,500 new behavioral health care providers enrolled to deliver Medicaid services in New Mexico. He said it probably occurred because of increased Medicaid reimbursement rates. Small said this:

“We’re beginning to see some improvements, but I share the frustration and the expectation that these increasing investments need to yield better outcomes.”

The report notes access to providers via Medicaid is key to improving outcomes. The report states:

“With about 38% of the state enrolled, Medicaid is the greatest lever available to the state to reduce the prevalence of mental illness and substance use disorders and improve physical health for women and children.”

The link to the quoted or relied upon new source is here:

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/despite-significant-investment-new-mexicos-behavioral-health-rankings-slip/article_e0747600-b4b6-4e76-9233-44cc3c35306a.html

MEASURABLE PROGRESS

Tim Fowler, a spokesperson for the state Health Care Authority, said in a statement New Mexico is making measurable progress on behavioral health outcomes even as some metrics in the report to lawmakers may suggest otherwise. Key achievements noted include the following:

“9% reduction in overall suicide rates.
17% decline in alcohol-related deaths from 2021-23, marking the second year of improvement.
17% reduction in high school students experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness between 2021 and 2023.
38% drop in alcohol-related deaths in McKinley County, which Fowler said demonstrates targeted interventions can work.
8% decline in overdose deaths since 2021.”

Fowler said this:

“Higher reported mental illness prevalence often indicates success, not failure. … It means more people are getting identified and treated rather than suffering in silence. Our investments have reduced stigma and expanded access to care, bringing hidden cases into care.”

Fowler added that mental health investments take two to three years to show population-level results and he said this:

“We’re already seeing this work in our suicide and substance abuse programs, with measurable lives saved and improved youth outcomes.”

The report notes the Legislature has continued to invest in behavioral health services. Although it wouldn’t have affected the rankings listed in the report, the Legislature appropriated more than $555 million for behavioral health earlier this year. The report states:

“The Health Care Authority received $347.9 million, and the state enacted legislation to revamp the behavioral health system. … While these steps are intended to improve access, the most recent efforts are just starting, and there is little available data to show whether funding appropriated during the 2023 and 2024 sessions have made a difference.”

The state Health Care Authority serves more than 814,500 Medicaid members, or 39% of New Mexicans. The state is seeing growth in its provider network. Cabinet Secretary Kari Armijo told Legislative Finance Committee members this:

“We are the largest payer of health care in our state. [With growth in the provider network] … Things are really moving in the right direction. … We’ve seen over 4,000 net new providers into our network over the past 11 months. That’s across all provider types. … More than half of the provider network growth, or 57%, has been in behavioral health. … New Mexico ranks 16th in access to behavioral health care overall, so not at the top, which is where we all want to be, but it’s showing that these interventions are working.”

Armijo noted that while New Mexico struggles with newer issues, including substance abuse disorder, “things are really improving in terms of access to care.”

Armijo said an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates to 150% of the Medicare rate in January is making a difference. Armijo said this:

“We are getting ready to launch in just a few days our new justice-involved pilot program where we’re really connecting people who are transitioning out of prison and jail to services so that they don’t have gaps in care.”

The link to the quoted or relied upon news source is here:

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/despite-significant-investment-new-mexicos-behavioral-health-rankings-slip/article_e0747600-b4b6-4e76-9233-44cc3c35306a.html

LEGISLATORS EXPRESS CONCERN

During the June 25 meeting of the Legislative Finance Committee several lawmakers expressed concern about state agencies’ previous use of allocated behavioral health funds and the recent trends. Representative Tara Lujan, D-Santa Fe said this:

“I’m not happy with the rankings I’m seeing … when we invested $2.2 billion over the past few years.”

State Health Care Authority Secretary Kari Armijo emphasized there have been positive developments even as state officials brace for the potential impacts of a congressional budget bill. That includes the possibility of an estimated 90,000 New Mexicans losing Medicaid benefits, in part due to increased work requirements that would start in 2027.

Specifically, Armijo cited an increase in behavioral health services provided over the last nine years and said 57% of the 4,000 or so of the new health care providers licensed in New Mexico since July 2024 are in the behavioral health field. Armijo said this:

“Things are really moving in the right direction. … The state has done a lot of work to rebuild the behavioral health system.”

The overhaul approved during the 2025 legislative session calls for regional plans for providing substance abuse and mental health treatment. The state’s judicial branch is playing a larger role under the new system, which officially took effect June 20.

Both the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Health Care Authority have hired new top-level staffers to lead the revised system, while a new executive committee tasked with reviewing and approving the regional plans held its first meeting this week. Even as the new system takes shape, Armijo said the number of behavioral health crisis centers around New Mexico has increased, with five such centers now operating.

However, some of the proposed federal funding changes could impact New Mexico’s revised behavioral health approach, as some treatment programs are covered under Medicaid.

Representative Mark Duncan, R-Kirtland, questioned whether the state’s goal should ultimately be to increase or decrease its Medicaid enrollment. Duncan told Secretary Armijo this during the hearing:

“My goal is to get people off [the Medicaid rolls], your goal is to get people on.”

Committee members questioned Children, Youth and Families Secretary Teresa Casados about whether $20 million in state funds intended to pay for behavioral health services for children had been misspent. CYFD utilized some of the money to fund the operations of group home facilities, which some legislators said does not qualify for federal matching funds.

In response, Casados said the budgetary language was made more restrictive by the Legislature from when the funding was first earmarked in 2022 to when it was reauthorized two years later. Casados said this:

“We believe the initial language allowed us to do that.”

But an LFC subcommittee voted before adjourning to approve a letter from the committee’s two chairmen. Senator George Muñoz, D-Gallup, and Representative Nathan Small, D-Las Cruces, requesting that State Auditor Joseph Maestas and Attorney General Raúl Torrez review the appropriateness of the spending. Such a review could trigger an investigation into whether the funding was misspent by CYFD.

The link to the quoted or relied upon news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_540c310d-47f4-4854-87cc-b75833ada57e.html

NEW MEXICO SUPREME COURT ALSO SOUGHT FUNDING FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

On January 23, 2024 New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice David Thomson of addressed New Mexico lawmakers to discuss the financial needs of the state’s court system. Thomson highlighted several areas requiring funding. One area he expressed concern over was new efforts and court outpatient treatment programs for individuals with mental illness.

During his State of the Judiciary Address Supreme Court Chief Justice David Thomson said this:

“The judiciary is committed to doing the hard work to support the policy initiatives of the Legislature and the executive on behavioral health. … We will do our part. … My request to you is that we are not asked to do more to the detriment of our core judicial function.”

Thomson asked lawmakers to make the $3 million in funding approved during a special session last year recurring to ramp up court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment programs for individuals with mental illness in three judicial districts. Judge Thomson said this:

“We need that extended if this is a program that is of value to you so we can be consistent in its application.”

Behavioral health remains a priority for the court’s with the $3 million pilot program underway for Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). While early results show some success, comprehensive outcomes are yet to be determined. Thomson stressed funding not only courts but also criminal justice partners like law enforcement and public defenders.

A treatment program in the Santa Fe-based 1st Judicial District was recently launched using Legislature’s initial start-up funding, though Thomson said he did not yet have information about the number of participants. Judge Thomson told law makers “We literally turned on the switch” .

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth told judicial officials during a Senate Committee hearing he’s committed to securing recurring funding for the assisted outpatient program, which connects defendants with counseling, medication and other services for up to one year. Wirth also said it’s important for such court programs to be in place and fully staffed as legislators consider changes to the state’s approach to assisting individuals found not to be competent, both in criminal and civil cases. Wirth referring to the state’s assisted outpatient treatment programs said this:“This law has been on our books since 2016 and we just weren’t using it.”

The link to the quoted or relied upon news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_aa158e90-d9c9-11ef-aa34-477662558954.html

https://newmexicosun.com/stories/669238888-new-mexico-chief-justice-seeks-funds-for-court-modernization-and-security

RECALLING THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF NON-PROFIT MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS BY GOVERNOR SUSANA MARTINEZ

One of the cruelest things that Republican Governor Susana Martinez did as governor was order an “audit” of mental health services by nonprofits in New Mexico which devastated New Mexico’s behavioral health system. In 2014, more than 160,000 New Mexicans received behavioral health services with most of those services funded by Medicaid according to the Human Services Department at the time.

In June 2013, under the direction of Governor Martinez, the Human Services Department cut off Medicaid funding to 15 behavioral health nonprofits operating in New Mexico. The Martinez Administration said that the outside audit showed more than $36 million in overbilling, as well as mismanagement and possible fraud. The audit was false. The Martinez Human Services Department agency brought in the 5 Arizona providers to take over.

In early 2016, at least 13 of the 15 nonprofits that were shut down were exonerated of fraud by New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas. Even though AG Balderas found no fraud and cleared the nonprofits of fraud the damage had been done to the nonprofits and many just went out of business. Lawsuits ensued and the Governor Lujan Grisham Administration was stuck settling most of the cases out of court to the tune of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Three of the five Arizona providers brought in by Governor Susana Martinez’s administration in 2013 to replace the New Mexico nonprofits pulled up stakes in the state and the states mental health system never fully recovered.

The freezing of Medicaid funding to 15 providers over false fraud and overbilling accusations and intentionally gutting the state’s mental health care system can only be described as cruel and vicious conduct by a political hack in the form of Republican Governor Susana Martinez. The state is still playing catch up to fill the void to provide mental health care services to those who desperately need them.

https://www.abqjournal.com/749923/third-arizona-behavioral-health-provider-to-pull-out-of-state.html

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Simply put, since 2014, the state of New Mexico has had a broken mental health care system largely in part because of the actions of former Republican Governor Susana Martinez when she ordered an “audit” of mental health services by nonprofits in New Mexico which devastated New Mexico’s behavioral health system.

The passage of the three behavioral health bills by the Senate in a bi partisan vote was a major victory and a reflection of just how far the state has come to fix its broken health care system. The passage of the 3 bills comes more than a decade after former Republican Governor Susana Martinez gutted New Mexico’s behavioral system in 2013. Enactment of all 3 Senate bills making sweeping changes to the state’s health care system to deal with mental illness and drug abuse was long overdue. However, all 3 Senate Bills only address programs and facilities.

The void to address the mandatory civil commitment of those who are to be danger to themselves, and others will now be addressed with the enactment of House Bill 4. House Bill 4 specifically requires that competency evaluators determine whether defendants are dangerous to themselves or others. House Bill 4 essentially contains the very same provisions that were mandated in Senate Bill 16 that was rejected in 2024. Under House Bill 4, after a civil competency hearing, and if a defendant is found not to be competent, a judge would then decide whether the defendant poses a threat. Once a person is determined not to be competent and determined to be a threat to themselves and others, the court could order mandatory treatment.

Simply put, the Behavioral Health Package and changes to the State’s civil mental health commitment process occurred in March, 2025. In all likelihood it will take at least two years to four years before we can expect the reforms to show any measures of success.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Arrest Of Venezuelan Man In Country Legally Leads To Mayor Keller Signing Executive Order To Protect Immigrant Rights; Keller Engages In Political Plagiarism Of Opponent Alexander M.M. Uballez Advocacy To Protect Immigrant Rights; ICE Should Take The Damn Masks Off, Identify Self And Secure Warrants

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Pete Dinelli

Increasing and aggressive enforcement actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brought on by President Trump’s efforts to expel and deport 16 million undocumented people has become a major flash point in Albuquerque city politics as ICE raids in Albuquerque ramp up. The ICE raids in Albuquerque are making immigration and public safety big campaign issues in the 2025 Albuquerque Mayor’s race.

JULY 7 ICE ENFORCMENT ACTION

On July 7 an altercation occurred between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining and tasing a man inside the Albuquerque Walmart located at 2550 Coors Blvd. NW. The video taken of the incident reveals three ICE agents, two of whom are masked, subdue the man with a Taser. The man can be heard screaming on the video. At one point the man falls backwards to the ground and hits his head.

While the federal agents stand over the man, a Walmart official enters the video frame shouting at one person to “get back to work” and approaches the female filming. He orders her to leave the store, telling her she is on “private property.” The 20-second video ends as private security officers begin to escort the woman who filmed the incident out of the store.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/video-ice-uses-taser-detain-182811140.html

The female customer who filmed the July 7 incident posted the video the same day on FACEBOOK. Since then, the video of the incident has gone viral, has drawn national attention and amassed huge numbers of online views, along with comments expressing shock at the violent nature of an unarmed man’s arrest.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5396461-watch-ice-agents-taser-albuquerque-walmart/

On July 11, an ICE spokesperson identified the man taken into custody by ICE as Deivi Jose Molina-Peña and said he was in the United State illegally. ICE claimed the man fled from agents on July 7, running into the Walmart at Coors and I-40, leading to them to tase him. The ICE spokesperson said the Venezuelan man had recently been arrested by the APD for DWI, resisting arrest, evading police and obstructing an officer. In an email to KRQE News 13 an ICE spokesperson said this about the arrest:

“Given this pattern of behavior this individual is considered a danger to the community. These decisions are never made lightly, but officer safety and the protection of the public remain top priorities. … ICE agents deployed the taser while attempting to detain the man to mitigate that threat and prevent further escalation. … U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and officers are trained to employ force judiciously and in accordance with agency policy and federal standards.”

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/man-in-viral-ice-walmart-tasing-video-identified/

On July 11, the online news agency Source NM, reported that family and friends of Deivi Jose Molina-Pena said he arrived in the United States legally under Temporary Protected Status two years ago from Venezuela and he was employed as a Spanish-speaking “deliverista” for Spark Driver, a delivery service for Walmart. Source NM reported that that it was a feud between American-born delivery drivers for Walmart’s grocery service and Spanish-speaking “deliveristas” that may have led to the federal immigration arrest at the Walmart on July 7. The link to the Source NM report is here:

https://sourcenm.com/2025/07/11/resentment-against-albuquerque-deliveristas-may-have-sparked-viral-walmart-ice-arrest/

“BURQUE OVER BILLIONAIRES”

The arrest sparked a protest on Sunday, July 20 which drew at least a hundred anti-ICE demonstrators to the front doors of the retail store off Coors Boulevard NW and I-40. Protesters appeared outside the Walmart where the incident occurred to protest the arrest and yelling “Burque Over Billionaires.” Organizers of the protest said they have not been able to locate Molina-Pena. Jayce Cardenas, New Mexico campaign manager for Organized Power in Numbers, said Walmart, like all businesses, should protect its workers. Cardenas said this in a speech at the end of the demonstration:

“All business owners should be protecting their workers by making and designating private space that has clear signage so [that] if and when ICE agents come, workers are protected, their Fourth Amendment right is protected.”

According to the Immigration Law Center, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can enter private spaces without permission if they have a judicial warrant signed by a judge. Without that warrant, private property owners may decline immigration enforcement access to their property.

The link to the relied upon or quoted news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_5e224ef7-390a-4417-9ca8-10df141c112c.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

MAYOR TIM KELLER SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER

On July 22, in part as a reaction to the arrest of Deivi Jose Molina-Pena and with the video of the arrest going viral along with the protest, Mayor Tim Keller signed an executive order that has the goal to protect immigrant rights amid reports of increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Albuquerque. The executive order consists of both new and preexisting directives. Some of the executive orders are being criticized for being unenforceable. Keller said that his motivation for the executive order started in June during Los Angeles’ ICE raids and subsequent protests, and continued when a social media clip showed ICE agents tasing and detaining a SPARK delivery driver inside a local Walmart.

CONTENTS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER

“The directives contained in Keller’s Executive Order conform with the City Council 2001 resolution and the 2018 amendments that declares the city to be an “Immigrant-Friendly City”. The Executive Order forbids city personnel from working with ICE except when required by a court order. City personnel have been forbidden to share information about immigration status, except when presented with a court order, since the 2018 resolution.

Other directives expand on the “Immigrant-Friendly City” resolution. The order requires the city attorney to routinely file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests about ICE activities within the city. It mandates the city’s child wellbeing officer, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion develop “trauma-informed” training for all city departments that work with children impacted by immigration enforcement, including those who have been separated from their parents. The order additionally warns that anyone caught impersonating an ICE agent will be prosecuted “to the highest degree allowable.”

A few items contained in Keller’s Executive Order conflict with one another, especially where ICE and the Albuquerque Police Department overlap. While the executive order states that ICE agents “must not disrupt the wellbeing of City public spaces through violent or harmful detainment actions,” it also states that “the Albuquerque Police Department cannot legally interfere with ICE activity.”

One of the provisions in the executive order is that it aims to prosecute people impersonating law enforcement. It also reiterates that Immigration and Customs Enforcement must clearly identify its officers and avoid harmful or disruptive tactics in public spaces. However, when asked to clarify this part of the directive, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson said that the executive order does not address masks, which are a policy for ICE to determine.

The order does instruct APD to verify the identity of suspected ICE agents if asked to by a member of the public. The public can report suspected ICE raids to APD’s non-emergency line, (505) 242-2677, for verification.”

The link to the quoted news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_d698f3d9-2c89-4aae-9007-f97417c1443d.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

KEY PROVISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER

Following are the key provisions of Mayor Keller’s Executive Order to protect immigrant rights:

Protection of Immigration Due Process

Reaffirms that no City department, agency, or employee shall use City resources to assist in federal civil immigration enforcement, including raids, detentions, or information-sharing, unless legally required.

Implementation and Oversight

Designates the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) to lead implementation.
Directs the Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) Steering Committee to gather community feedback and coordinate support services with legal providers, schools, and non-profits.
Requires all departments to designate liaisons and report progress to the Mayor.

Transparency in City Services

Prohibits City staff from supporting secret ICE activity in public facilities.
Requires departments to report any ICE activity at City facilities to the Mayor’s Office and OEI.
Allows APD to confirm ICE activity only when requested by the public.
Commits to prosecuting individuals who impersonate law enforcement to defraud or harm residents.

Transparency in Federal Immigration Enforcement

Directs the City Attorney to file regular Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to DHS and ICE and share findings with the public and City departments.
Reiterates that ICE must clearly identify its officers and avoid harmful or disruptive detainment tactics in public spaces.

Protection of Children, Including Migrant Youth

Instructs all departments serving youth to develop trauma-informed protocols to support children affected by immigration enforcement.

Support for Working Families

Directs departments to identify services and assistance for families impacted by federal actions, particularly related to housing, healthcare, employment, and education.
Expands virtual access to services to support safe interaction with government systems.

In a statement, Mayor Keller said this of his Executive Order:

“From day one, I made it clear that we will not be intimidated by harmful federal policies—and we’ve never wavered from our commitment to civil rights and public safety. … This Executive Order makes it clear that we will not stand by silently as our neighbors and friends are living in fear, and we will protect due process for all people living in our City. Albuquerque is a community rooted in diversity and strength, and we will not use our resources to support raids, detentions, or information-sharing that we are not legally required to do.”

https://www.cabq.gov/mayor/news/mayor-keller-issues-executive-order-to-protect-immigrant-rights-in-albuquerque-city-councilors-plan-legislation-to-further-codify-immigrant-protections

FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY ALEX UBALLEZ WEIGHS IN ON KELLER’S EXECUTIVE ORDER

After the July 7 arrest of Deivi Jose Molina-Peña, former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico Alexander M.M. Uballez, who is also running for Mayor against Keller, called on the city to do more to protect immigrant rights. Several of the directives contained in Keller’s executive order appeared a week earlier in a letter of recommendations for immigration reform sent to the city by Uballez.

Uballez’s letter contained 11 policies of his own that he also posted on social media under the tag line “there’s more we can do”. His policy proposals include the following substantive recommendations:

Require federal agents to wear visible identification, ban the use of masks during enforcement actions and require ICE to identify themselves during enforcement actions. Uballez calls for federal agencies to give advance notice before enforcement actions.
Require local law enforcement to verify federal agents’ identity when and if deployed to sites of enforcement activity.
Establish a formal designation restricting ICE enforcement near schools , churches, shelters and other sensitive sites. The move responds to a January directive from the Department of Homeland Security that tossed out long-standing policies and now lets officers make arrests in these places. For over a decade, ICE and Border Patrol were told to avoid enforcement at sensitive sites—a rule the Trump administration reversed
Facilitate virtual access to services and the courts. Uballez calls for turning “Know Your Rights” outreach into a full-blown public education campaign and expanding virtual access to city services and courts.
Create city emergency response infrastructure and give city 911 and 311 operators tools and the resources to support families who have been impacted by ICE and are in crisis. This would mean training 911 and 311 operators to flag when extra help is needed, coordinating housing, counseling, and legal aid, and creating quick-response teams.
Restricting data sharing with the federal government. Uballez wants to ban sharing city data without a judge’s order and requires companies working with the city to train employees on their rights during immigration raids.
Paying the legal fees of those facing deportation with public funds. Uballez wants the city to fund deportation defense so immigrants don’t lose their rights just because they can’t afford a lawyer.
Passing an Immigrant Civil Rights Act. Uballez wants to lock in protections with an Immigrant Civil Rights Act that would guarantee rights for all residents, regardless of immigration status.

See July 22 City Desk article “Uballez criticizes Keller’s ICE policy, calls for stronger immigrant protections” by Jesse Jones.

Uballez issued the following statement to KOAT TV in response to Keller’s Executive Order:

“I’m glad to see the Mayor responding to the proposals we’ve made, but it shouldn’t take a competitive election to light a fire under him to protect our city. Today’s reaffirmation fell far short of the solutions our community deserves, prioritizing the optics of safety instead of actually operationalizing it. Our immigrant communities and their advocates are working so hard in this moment, they deserve a mayor who will match their energy with the power at his disposal. Instead, there’s still more that can be done to better protect our rights and our communities. That was true before the incumbent’s press conference and is still true after the fact.”

https://www.koat.com/article/executive-order-issued-to-protect-immigrant-rights-in-albuquerque/65468478

When Keller was asked if his Executive Order was in was in reaction to the Uballez letter that made recommendations to protect immigrant rights, Keller was very dismissive and said that the two were unrelated and that the city began drafting the order in June. Keller said this after the news conference:

I’m not familiar with the specifics [of the Uballez letter], but as I understand it, we were already doing most of those things.”

A city spokesperson took a petty, little swipe at Uballez and lied about Uballez and said this in a statement:

“While Alex’s newfound interest in immigrant rights is refreshing, where were these suggestions while he was working for Donald Trump?”

The truth is Uballez was appointed by and worked for the Justice Department under President Joe Biden and he served as New Mexico’s United State Attorney until Trump was elected. Uballez and more than 20 other U.S. attorneys, were fired in the first month of Trump’s second term as part of a purge of political appointees in the Justice Department. Uballez announced his bid for the mayor’s office in April.

SUPPORTERS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER

There was a show of support for the Executive Order with members of local immigrant advocacy groups and members of the New Mexico legislature attending the signing of the order.

Fabiola Landeros, a community organizer with El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos, lauded Mayor Keller for taking action and spoke of the fear running through the immigrant community, whom she lovingly called “mi gente” or my people. Landeros said this:

“Imagine feeling afraid every time you left your home that you will be disappeared, separated from your children, that nobody will know where you are, or that you could be held in a detention center in a country you’re not from.”

State Senator Cindy Nava, D-Bernalillo, and House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque also attended the signing of the Executive Order. They reflected on the struggles their families endured as immigrants.

State Senator Cindy Nava called the executive order “personal” to her. Nava is a former Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, recipient. Nava said

“Thank you to everyone here for your continued fight, your work, and your strength in being here, because I know the fear that lives inside us. … As the daughter of a construction worker and a lady who cleans houses for a living and now sitting in the state senate, things are surreal. … When we think of the folks that are being targeted, you’re talking about my family.”

New Mexico Speaker of the House Javier Martinez did not hold back on his views of ICE agents donning full-face masks during arrests. Speaker Martinez said this:

“Can we collectively say, ‘Take off the mask? Take off the damn mask.’ What are they afraid of? ….On Amazon you can get this jacket, it says ‘ICE Border Patrol’ for 30 bucks. You can get the hat for another $15. That’s how easy it is to become one of these imposter thugs going around our community, terrorizing our families.”

DETRACTORS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER

Not everyone saw the executive order as a step in the right direction, or a step forward. Republican City Councilors Dan Lewis, Renée Grout, and Dan Champine issued the following joint statement:

“These executive orders are nothing more than dangerous political theater by the Mayor. If a resolution comes before the Council to codify orders that interfere with federal law enforcement’s pursuit of criminals, we will introduce an amendment requiring that federal authorities be given access to the Prisoner Booking Center – the location all criminals are taken when arrested. Mayor Keller specifically prohibited federal law enforcement access to this location when he took office. Public safety should never be compromised for political posturing. The people of Albuquerque are tired of this Mayor playing games while violent criminals roam our streets and terrorize our neighborhoods. We will not stand by and allow this administration to continue undermining the safety of our city.”

Republican Party of New Mexico Chairwoman Amy Barela sent the following statement to KOAT TV:

“Less than two weeks ago, ICE officers in Texas were ambushed and shot at, yet Mayor Tim Keller has chosen to prioritize illegal immigrants over the federal law enforcement officers that protect and serve our communities. Unfortunately for the people of Albuquerque, Mayor Keller’s executive order does nothing to improve public safety or increase the number of good paying jobs available, but it does ensure he receives media attention. Voters would be wise to remember his priorities at the ballot box and oppose his reelection.”

The links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_d698f3d9-2c89-4aae-9007-f97417c1443d.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

https://www.koat.com/article/executive-order-issued-to-protect-immigrant-rights-in-albuquerque/65468478

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/mayor-signs-new-executive-order-focused-on-immigration-rights-and-safety-in-albuquerque/

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/albuquerque-mayor-signs-executive-order-for-immigrant-safety-rights/

OTHER CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR ISSUE STATEMENTS

The following statements were sent to KOAT TV by the other candidates for Mayor:

DANIEL CHAVEZ STATEMENT

“Now that it is politically beneficial for him, Tim Keller has decided safety for Albuquerque residents is important after years of letting chaos, crime and law enforcement corruption exist. I believe it is critical to implement law enforcement transparency and to make sure our communities are not suffering or living in fear. I’ll make it a priority all the time, not just when it’s politically convenient.”

LOUIE SANCHEZ STATEMENT

“This executive order does nothing to protect law-abiding members of the immigrant community in Albuquerque. Mayor Keller is doing what he does best: grandstanding and using fear-mongering in order to accumulate more power to himself. Further, this signals to the violent criminal element of this city that Tim Keller sides with them. In fact, this harms, not helps, the immigrant community because the immigrant population bears the brunt of this lawlessness and violence. If he really cared about immigrants he would want to make their community safe, as well.”

DARREN WHITE STATEMENT

“This is nothing more than Mayor Keller doubling down on his dangerous policy of providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants who have committed serious crimes, rather than prioritizing the safety and well-being of our law-abiding residents. He’s veering further to the radical left, using fear-based rhetoric and divisive language to score political points while placing federal law enforcement officers in danger.”

MAYLING ARMIJO STATEMENT

“I believe every family in Albuquerque — regardless of where they’re from — deserves to feel safe. But let’s be honest: signing an executive order doesn’t fix our broken police department. Mayor Keller says he wants to build trust, but under his watch, response times are unacceptable, recruitment is down, and we still haven’t seen real leadership from the top. If we want a city where everyone feels protected, we need to start by hiring a new police chief, boosting APD staffing, and restoring accountability to a system that’s failing too many residents. Immigrant safety begins with a city that works — and right now, it doesn’t.”

https://www.koat.com/article/executive-order-issued-to-protect-immigrant-rights-in-albuquerque/65468478

NEW POLICY APPROVED BY HOMELAND SECURITY TO DISCLOSE ICE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

On July 12, Mayor Keller and the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) announced a new policy saying the federal officials have agreed to share more information with police about immigration operations in the city. According to a statement issued by APD, the public can call 242-COPS, which is APD’s non-emergency number, to inquire about “a specific presence in the city and whether that is an ICE operation.”

APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said this in the statement.

“Our dispatchers can call ICE and verify whether that is the case, and the dispatcher can relay that verification to the caller. … We will not know or pass along any operational details to members of the public. … The process is similar to that used in SWAT activations in the city.”

APD Chief Harold Medina said in a statement that he has communicated with Homeland Security Investigations, which oversees ICE, about public concerns. Medina said this:

“While APD does not enforce federal immigration laws, [I] emphasized to federal law enforcement leaders that there must be more transparency around their operations in Albuquerque … As a result, federal officials have agreed to share information with APD when people have questions about operations.”

Medina also said that federal agents must wear markings identifying themselves as law enforcement officials and said this:

“APD is not in the business of immigration enforcement. At the same time, I want to keep lines of communication open to avoid misunderstandings. We want the community to be safe and trust that we are looking out for them.”

Chief Harold Medina said it doesn’t matter if the resident is a legal citizen or not. He says when they break the law, they’ll be sought out by APD.

“At the end of the day, if someone is a criminal, I don’t care if they were born in Albuquerque or another country. Criminals, people breaking the law, endanger our citizens in Albuquerque—regardless, citizens or not—should be in jail.”

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

“Political plagiarism” of ideas is one of the highest forms of flattery but anyone who engages in it without quoting the source risks being called out on it. It is very difficult to accept Keller’s statement as truthful when he said “I’m not familiar with the specifics [of the Uballez letter], but as I understand it, we were already doing most of those things.” The truth is that it is more likely than not Keller is very familiar with the Uballez letter, he was likely briefed on it, given that many of the Uballez proposals contained in his letter appear in Keller’s Executive Order.

It is doubtful Keller has ever had an original idea of his own during his entire tenure as Mayor. This is not the first time Keller during a campaign has pilfered the ideas of an opponent and claiming them as his own. Keller did so when he first ran for Mayor in 2017 as he adopted the ideas of Mayoral candidate Gus Pedrotty to dispatch social workers and psychologists to deal with the unhoused and those suffering from psychotic episodes instead of first responders such as police and firefighters. Pedrotty’s idea later became Keller’s Albuquerque Community Safety Division. Since running for Mayor in 2017, Gus Pedrotty graduated from UNM and went on to become an Albuquerque Firefighter and he is rising up through the ranks of Albuquerque Fire and Rescue and serving the city with distinction.

Instead of inviting and conferring with Uballez on his ideas on how to protect immigrant rights, and taking advantage of Uballez’s expertise as a former New Mexico United States Attorney, Keller simply incorporated them into his own Executive Order so that he can take credit in an election year. You would think after almost 8 year’s in office, Keller would have enough self confidence in his own accomplishments to acknowledge the hard work and ideas of others as opposed to engaging in political plagiarism and theatrics.

CONDEMNATION OF UNCONSTITUTINAL ICE ENFORECEMENT ACTIONS

ICE agents wearing masks, tactical vests and armed without identifying themselves to apprehend and arrest people without arrest warrants is as shocking and authoritarian and as fascist as it gets. It’s what happens in countries like Russia and North Korea. It should not be tolerated nor be happening in a democracy such as ours. It’s an affront to our constitutional rights, civil rights and due process of law guaranteed to all, including undocumented immigrants.

With any luck, the new policy approved by Homeland Security to disclose ICE enforcement actions to APD along with Keller’s Executive order will help reduce the inevitable havoc on the community as a direct result of ICE enforcement actions. ICE should take the damn masks off, identify themselves, secure warrants and follow due process of law.

The link to a related article is here:

Candidates For Mayor Spar Over City’s New Policy Approved By Homeland Security To Disclose ICE Enforcement Actions To Public; Sanctuary City Becomes Nasty, Divisive Issue In Mayor’s Race; Darren White Shoots Big Mouth Off Demanding US Attorney To Investigate City As He Seeks To Divide City To Win An Election; POSTSCRIPT: Journal Guest Opinion Column By Louie Sanchez

Candidates For Mayor Spar Over City’s New Policy Approved By Homeland Security To Disclose ICE Enforcement Actions To Public; Sanctuary City Becomes Nasty, Divisive Issue In Mayor’s Race; Darren White Shoots Big Mouth Off Demanding US Attorney To Investigate City As He Seeks To Divide City To Win An Election; POSTSCRIPT: Journal Guest Opinion Column By Louie Sanchez

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Pete Dinelli

Increasing and aggressive enforcement actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brought on by President Trump’s efforts to expel and deport 16 million undocumented people has become a major flash point in Albuquerque city politics. It is making immigration and public safety big campaign issues in the 2025 Mayor’s race. It is highlighting the bigger fight between local and federal roles in immigration. It is the result of a July 7 incident at a Walmart store and a subsequent policy announcement by Mayor Tim Keller designed to let Albuquerque residents know if ICE is operating in their neighborhood.

This article is an in-depth report on the controversy. It has a postscript containing a Albuquerque Journal guest opinion column by City Councilor Louie Sanchez.

JULY 7 ICE ENFORCMENT ACTION

https://www.yahoo.com/news/video-ice-uses-taser-detain-182811140.html

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5396461-watch-ice-agents-taser-albuquerque-walmart/

Albuquerque City Councilor Klarissa Peña, who represents the area, showed up at the Walmart a few hours later after the incident. People stopped her, showed her the video, and expressed their concerns. Peña said she talked to the Walmart management and Walmart management said the ICE actions were not within their policy. Peña said this:

“Seeing the video, I was just in there, and I could have been there with my grandchild, and for them to witness something like that would be traumatic.”

MAN IN COUNTRY LEGALLY

On July 11, an ICE spokesperson told KRQE News 13 that the incident happened and identified the man as Deivi Molina-Peña and said he was in the country illegally from Venezuela. However, on July 11, the online news agency Source NM, reported that family and friends of Deivi Jose Molina-Pena said he arrived in the United States legally under Temporary Protected Status two years ago from Venezuela and he was employed as a Spanish-speaking “deliverista” for Spark Driver, a delivery service for Walmart. Source NM reported that that it was a feud between American-born delivery drivers for Walmart’s grocery service and Spanish-speaking “deliveristas” that may have led to the federal immigration arrest at the Walmart on July 7. The link to the Source NM report is here:

https://sourcenm.com/2025/07/11/resentment-against-albuquerque-deliveristas-may-have-sparked-viral-walmart-ice-arrest/

On July 11, an ICE spokesperson told KRQE News 13 that Molina-Peña fled from agents on July 7, running into the Walmart at Coors and I-40, leading to them to tase him. The ICE spokesperson said the Venezuelan man had recently been arrested by the APD for DWI, resisting arrest, evading police and obstructing an officer. In an email to KRQE News 13 an ICE spokesperson said this about the arrest:

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/man-in-viral-ice-walmart-tasing-video-identified/

“BURQUE OVER BILLIONAIRES”

On Sunday, July 20 over 100 protesters appeared outside the Walmart where the incident occurred to protest the arrest and yelling “Burque Over Billionaires.” Organizers at the protest said they have not been able to locate Molina-Pena. Jayce Cardenas, New Mexico campaign manager for Organized Power in Numbers, said Walmart, like all businesses, should protect its workers. Cardenas said in a speech at the end of the demonstration:

The link to the relied upon or quoted news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_5e224ef7-390a-4417-9ca8-10df141c112c.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

MAYOR KELLER ANNOUNCES NEW POLICY

On July 12 Mayor Tim Keller sent out the following FACEBOOK post announcing a new policy:

Dear ABQ Neighbor,

You’ve seen the headlines—Trump officials are ramping up immigration raids and threatening to cut critical funding from cities like Albuquerque. These federal cuts target our police, housing programs, and most vulnerable residents. I’m not staying silent while that happens.

That’s why we just joined two national lawsuits to fight back. These cases challenge the Trump administration’s efforts to slash funding for our police officers, law enforcement tools, affordable housing, and homelessness programs—just because we won’t turn local law enforcement into immigration agents.

We’re standing up for our values and for what keeps our city safe.

At the same time, I announced a commonsense step to improve public safety and transparency right here at home. After a troubling ICE incident at a local Walmart, we created a new way for residents to call APD directly and ask: “Are those federal immigration agents in my neighborhood?” No sensitive details are disclosed—just confirmation of the agency, like we do with SWAT calls. This helps reduce confusion, prevent panic, and protect public trust.

Let me be clear: APD does not and will not enforce immigration laws. But when armed agents show up without clear identification, people get scared—and that fear can escalate into danger. We’re not going to let confusion make our communities less safe.

Unfortunately, Republican mayoral candidate Darren White is attacking this effort. Instead of backing transparency and safety, he’s playing politics with people’s fear. He wants secrecy. We’re choosing clarity.

Public safety is built on trust. When families know APD isn’t acting as an arm of ICE, they’re more likely to report crimes, call for help, and work with officers. That makes every neighborhood safer. And when federal overreach threatens our housing and policing resources, we won’t back down—we’ll go to court and fight for Albuquerque.

I’m choosing facts over fear, leadership over posturing, and standing with our communities instead of dividing them. That’s how we protect Albuquerque.

— Mayor Tim Keller

APD CLARIFIES NEW POLICY

The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued a statement saying the federal officials have agreed to share more information with police about immigration operations in the city. According to a statement issued by APD, the public can call 242-COPS, which is APD’s non-emergency number, to inquire about “a specific presence in the city and whether that is an ICE operation.”

APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said this in the statement.

APD Chief Harold Medina said in a statement that he has communicated with Homeland Security Investigations, which oversees ICE, about public concerns. Medina said this:

Medina also said that federal agents must wear markings identifying themselves as law enforcement officials and said this:

Chief Harold Medina said it doesn’t matter if the resident is a legal citizen or not. He says when they break the law, they’ll be sought out by APD.

DARREN WHITE DEMANDS INVESTIGATION

Darren White is a former APD Officer, former Bernalillo County Sheriff, former NM Cabinet Secretary for Homeland Security and former City Chief Public Safety Officer. White is one of 6 candidates running against Tim Keller for Mayor. On July 13, Darren White reacted to Keller’s FACEBOOK post by calling for U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Ryan Ellison to investigate the legality of the hotline that would identify if ICE were taking enforcement actions.

White announced on FACEBOOK that he sent a letter US Attorney Ryan Ellison and proclaimed “this reckless move could put federal agents and the public at risk.” The following is the contents of White’s letter to US Attorney Ryan Ellison:

Dear U.S. Attorney Ellison

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding a policy recently announced by Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller that directs the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) to facilitate illegal immigrants’ ability to verify where federal immigration agents are operating within the city.

As stated in a public post by mayor Keller, “You can call APD directly to get answers” regarding the presence of federal immigration agents. This statement was made alongside a broader announcement that the city has created “a new way to verify” the operations of federal agents in Albuquerque. If Mayor Keller doesn’t want ICE making apprehensions in public, he can rescind the Sanctuary Cit law and can once again allow ICE access to the Prisoner Transport Center. That would be safe for law enforcement, the public and even the criminals being apprehended.

As a former law enforcement officer, I am alarmed by the implications of the directive. Publicizing or confirming the presence and locations of federal agents – especially those involved in immigration enforcement, creates a dangerous situation. It risks compromising sensitive operations, places federal personnel in imminent danger, and could even endanger members of the public. Moreover, this policy may have the unintended effect of aiding illegal immigrants, involved in criminal activity, who are actively attempting to evade lawful apprehension.

I respectfully urge you to review the specifics of this APD initiative to determine whether it violates any federal law, including those relating to obstruction of justice or interference with the duties of federal officers. Also, I strongly urge you to release the identities and criminal records of all the illegal immigrants arrested by ICE. This will certainly provide the public with the clarity necessary to avoid any confusion over these federal enforcement activities – confusion ironically exacerbated by a mayor demonizing federal law enforcement at every town hall he attends.

I have attached a copy of the mayor’s public post for your review.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Darren White

https://x.com/darrenPwhite/status/1944524068000256405/photo/1

In interviews with the media after he sent his letter to U.S. Attorney Ellison, White called Keller’s new policy “dangerous” for federal law enforcement officers. White said this about Keller’s FACEBOOK post:

“I know that his post may have been his way of trying to cater to a certain segment of our community. … But you don’t do that at the risk of endangering federal law enforcement officers and the public. I thought that was reckless. … I’m very concerned about the police department establishing some type of a tip line for people to call to verify whether (ICE) is working in certain neighborhoods. You are providing information about legitimate law enforcement operations. That could be dangerous.”

In an interview with the online news outlet City Desk, White said this:

“We have enough of our own criminals. … We don’t need to let illegal immigrants who are in our country committing crimes stay here to commit more. I don’t think that’s a common-sense position to take. I think it’s a radical approach by the mayor to say ‘Well, we don’t care that illegal immigrants who are committing crimes are here’ and to provide them a shield from apprehension. That, to me, is radical. … As a former law enforcement officer, I’m very alarmed by the implications of that.”

White called the city’s use of APD to confirm federal agent’s enforcement actions in the city “very dangerous” and he said this:

“Anyone with APD has to realize that publicizing the presence of federal agents creates a very dangerous situation. Why create a system to alert potential illegal immigrants who may be committing crimes and are being sought by ICE? That puts agents and the public at risk.”

“I can assure you that there are many people who are illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes — including murder — that ICE is not aware of because we have not informed them. … What I’m simply saying is, let us know the people you’re apprehending — post what crimes that they’ve been charged with.”

WHITE’S BETTER WAY RARELY USED

White said there is a better way to balance public safety with community concerns. He wants changes that would include letting ICE verify arrestee information at the Prisoner Transport Center instead of conducting street arrests, something he believes is safer and still respects local laws.

White said the public has a right to know who ICE is arresting and what crimes those individuals are accused of committing. In his letter to the U.S. attorney, he urged federal officials to release the names and criminal records of undocumented immigrants taken into custody, saying it would clear up confusion fueled by what he called Mayor Keller’s “demonizing” of federal law enforcement.

White said that if elected mayor, he would look for legal ways to share arrest records with ICE and said this:

“Obviously, we cannot violate the city law, but we will find a way to allow ICE to check the records of those people who have been arrested. … That’s what law enforcement agencies do — they share information — we’ll find a way that we can provide that information to them, where they look it up and they can make that determination.”

https://citydesk.org/2025/07/16/mayor-kellers-ice-policy-sparks-backlash-from-mayoral-challenger-darren-white/#:~:text=In%20his%20letter%20to%20the,demonizing%E2%80%9D%20of%20federal%20law%20enforcement.

White called on Albuquerque officials to reestablish access for federal officials at the city’s Prisoner Transport Center at Fourth and Roma NW to check on the immigration status of people arrested by APD. It was a practice allowed under former Mayor Richard Berry when White was Berry’s appointed Chief public Safety Officer. The practice was ended soon after Keller was elected mayor in 2017. White said this:

“We just let [federal officials] set up a laptop and they could check people who were coming in. … [Today] some of these people are being charged with very serious felony crimes, violent crimes. It makes no sense to me that we wouldn’t want ICE to apprehend them and have them deported once they serve their sentence.”

APD officials responded to White saying that ICE officials rarely used their access to the Prisoner Transport Center when it was available to them. APD Spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said this:

“[APD Chief Medina] … recalls that ICE had a desk in the [Prisoner Transport Center] several years ago under [the Berry] … administration but rarely staffed it. … ICE currently does not have access to the Prisoner Transport Center, where we are focused on arresting and booking people who break local and state criminal laws.”

“Darren White should be asked to be specific about why he thinks an open line of communication would endanger law enforcement and the public. … As it stands, it sounds like he is promoting secrecy and keeping the public in the dark about what’s happening in their own community.”

The link to the relied upon or quoted news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_62afcc63-3175-4316-8533-de0ade6e8bd5.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

MAYOR KELLER AND APD CHIEF MEDINA RESPOND TO WHITE

Mayor Keller responded to White’s criticism by saying this during a press conference:

“He’s just wrong. … This was arranged with our chief of police, and with … Homeland Security. They were OK with transparency, and we [are] … just a go between to identify operations. So yeah, he’s just misinformed and way off base.”

APD Chief Harold Medina confirmed that he communicated with Homeland Security Investigations, which oversees ICE, about public concerns. Medina said this:

“While APD does not enforce federal immigration laws … [I] emphasized to federal law enforcement leaders that there must be more transparency around their operations in Albuquerque. … As a result, federal officials have agreed to share information with APD when people have questions about operations. … APD is not in the business of immigration enforcement. … At the same time, I want to keep lines of communication open to avoid misunderstandings. We want the community to be safe and trust that we are looking out for them. … At the end of the day, if someone is a criminal, I don’t care if they were born in Albuquerque or another country. … Criminals, people breaking the law, endanger our citizens in Albuquerque—regardless, citizens or not—should be in jail.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_62afcc63-3175-4316-8533-de0ade6e8bd5.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY ALEX UBALLEZ WEIGHS IN ON CONTROVERSY

Mayoral candidate and former U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez watched the spectacle unfold between Keller and White on social media. Uballez said both Keller and White stances on the issue are inadequate, and he said this:

“That’s a little too little too late. Public safety is a thing that has to be done smart. … We don’t have to choose between the cruel and the ineffective in this city.”

Uballez has proposed 11 policies of his own on social media under the tag line “there’s more we can do” in opposition to both Keller and White. His policy proposals include the following 5 major points:

Require federal agents to wear visible identification, ban the use of masks during enforcement actions and require ICE to identify themselves during enforcement actions.
Require local law enforcement to verify federal agents’ identity when and if deployed to sites of enforcement activity.
Establish a formal designation restricting ICE enforcement near schools , churches, shelters and other sensitive sites.
Facilitate virtual access to services and the courts.
Create city emergency response infrastructure and give city 911 and 311 operators tools and the resources to support families who have been impacted by ICE and are in crisis.

OTHER CANDIDATES WEIGH IN

Four candidates running for Mayor sent the following statements to Channel 4 news:

DANIEL CHAVEZ:

“The sweeping raids we have seen across the country are alarming for Hispanic families who are just trying to live their lives. Law enforcement transparency is necessary, and while it’s not comfortable to fully trust the APD when they say they’ve got the public’s best interest after years of failing to keep our city safe, I’m not going to agree with Darren White who resigned in disgrace after the police union gave him a vote of “no confidence.”

LOUIE SANCHEZ:

“Tim Keller continues his tenure as a failed leader, prioritizing political posturing with his sidekick, Chief Medina, over real leadership. The Albuquerque Police Department’s sole responsibility is to keep our streets safe. Grandstanding and misrepresentations about Albuquerque’s immigrant-friendly policy simply doesn’t serve the best interests of the people of this city. As mayor, I will create a safer community by working with all law enforcement partners and community members to ensure Albuquerqueans can thrive.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The postscript below provides a guest opinion column written by City Councilor Louie Sanchez and published on July 20 by the Albuquerque Journal.

ALEXANDER UBALLEZ:

“The people of Albuquerque deserve a better choice than the cruel and the ineffective. Workers are being tased at Walmart in our city. Farmworkers are dying. What we are facing from Trump’s attacks makes urgent action to protect our neighbors necessary. What’s been put in place before is not enough for what we are facing now. That’s why I put together 11 policies to show Albuquerque families that the city is fighting for them and to strengthen what the city can do in response to ICE’s targeting our residents.”

MAYLING ARMIJO:

“As a Navy veteran, I know real leadership means building trust, not playing political games. Mayor Keller and Chief Medina aren’t standing up to ICE — they’re using a hotline as a political maneuver while doing nothing to make Albuquerque safer. We need to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the community, not feed fear. As mayor, I’ll bring in a new police chief, boost officer recruitment, and invest in real community policing that enforces the law fairly and focuses on criminals regardless of their immigration status.”

https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/where-do-albuquerque-mayoral-candidates-stand-on-ice-raids/

EDDIE VARELA said the city should cooperate with federal agencies.

PATRICK SAIS only sent the answer “comply.”

https://www.kunm.org/local-news/2025-07-15/mayoral-candidate-uballez-keller-white-spat-over-immigration

“SANCTUARY CITY” VERSUS “IMMIGRANT FRIENDLY” CITY

For the last 23 years, Albuquerque has had a hands-off approach to immigration enforcement by officially labeling itself “immigrant-friendly” city and limiting local police cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. APD does not enforce immigration laws nor detain people for ICE without a warrant.

It was in 2001, long before Trump was President and Keller was Mayor, that the Albuquerque City Council declared the city to be an “Immigrant-Friendly City” by City Council ordinance. The ordinance was originally sponsored by former Republican City Councilor Hess Yntema who represented the South East Heights area, including the International District that has the highest concentration of immigrants. Councilor Yntema’s wife is also naturalized citizen of the United States. The ordinance provides that the City of Albuquerque “welcomes and encourages immigrants to live, work and study in Albuquerque and to participate in community affairs, and recognizes immigrants for their important contributions to our culture and economy.”

In 2018, the Albuquerque City Council passed amendments to the original ordinance affirming the city was an “immigrant-friendly city,” again carefully avoiding the term “sanctuary city.” The 2018 legislation was sponsored by Albuquerque City Councilor Klarissa Peña. Then City Councilor Pat Davis asked to co-author the measure and Peña allowed it. Davis said this:

“We were really clear about being sure that we didn’t use sanctuary language. …We wanted to ensure transparency and cooperation, but also protect vulnerable residents.”

A “Sanctuary City” requires local government to essentially shield the undocumented from federal authorities and federal arrests. “Immigrant Friendly” cities on the other hand enact policies that are favorable to undocumented people to allow them city services like all other residents and its local law enforcement personnel do not make arrests for violations of federal immigration laws and only make arrests of undocumented people for violations of local ordinances and state laws.

Albuquerque does allow the sharing of arrest records of municipal and state violations with federal immigration agents. However, the city does not compile any information on immigration status of suspects and prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using municipal facilities or resources. This balance distinguishes the city’s approach from more overt sanctuary city policies.

The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs manages the Immigrant Friendly City Resolution. It requires city departments to review policies for compliance and report back to the council. Key provisions as reported by the online news agency City Desk include:

“City entities cannot collect citizenship or immigration status unless required by law for federal or state program eligibility or city employment.
City employees must keep personal information confidential unless needed to provide services, comply with public records requests, or required by law. Personal information includes Social Security numbers, birth details, addresses, sexual orientation, disability status, religion and national origin.
City resources cannot be used to aid immigration investigations or detentions based on immigration status.
Federal immigration agents cannot access non-public city areas, such as the Prisoner Transport Center, without a judicial warrant.
Everyone in Albuquerque has the right to city services with respect and dignity, regardless of race, disability, national origin, gender identity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, economic or immigration status.”

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Mayor Keller and Chief Medina were right to seek better cooperation with Homeland Security to implement a program for ICE to share information with APD it can disseminate when people have questions about ICE operations in the city.

Alexander Uballez’s proposed policies to deal with ICE merit serious consideration. He is a former United States Attorney who understands the limitations that should be imposed on federal law enforcement officers to ensure constitutional practices are followed and that there is respect for constitutional rights and due process of law.

SICKENING TURN OF EVENTS

It is absolutely sickening that in 2025 the lie that Albuquerque is a sanctuary city is once again becoming an issue in the race Mayor of Albuquerque. Voters can thank Republican Darren White for it as he seeks to use one of the most divisive issues in the country to divide the community he wants to lead as Mayor and be damned the truth.

White wants to be Mayor of a city with a 49% Hispanic population and a strong Hispanic cultural influence. It’s clear Darren White is appealing to and is attempting to consolidate the Republican MAGA base as he runs against five Hispanics and a very unpopular, Anglo, progressive Democrat Mayor.

White’s divisive ploy just might work because it has worked in the past. White is essentially using the same tactic Richard Berry used to defeat Mayor Marty Chavez and former State Senator Richard Romero. In 2009, Berry and the Republicans used a billboard mounted on a truck that drove through the streets of Albuquerque denouncing Albuquerque as a Sanctuary City and to proclaim Berry would end the city’s sanctuary city policies.

White proclaims himself to be a “proven leader,” “tough on crime” and a “champion for change.” White argues that there have been 660 murders during Keller’s years in office, that an alarming number of businesses have had to close because of crime and that Keller has made Albuquerque a “sanctuary city.” White proclaimed this in his announcement:

“Mayor Keller has presided over the most murders in Albuquerque’s history. His weak approach to crime and homelessness has failed and it’s time for change.”

In a fund-raising letter, White falsely proclaimed this:

“One of Keller’s first acts as Mayor was too make Albuquerque a Sanctuary City for illegal immigrants who commit crimes. Now we have case after case of violent crimes being committed by illegal immigrants, many of who have been arrested multiple times but turned back onto the streets by this Mayor’s backward policies. As Mayor, I will end the Sanctuary City law immediately.”

Simply put, former APD Officer Darren White knows better, unless he flunked “Constitutional Law” at the APD Police Academy which is a real possibility given the inflammatory rhetoric that repeatedly comes out of his big mouth. White knows Keller has no authority to simply “turned back onto the streets” people arrested for a violent crime as White claims. White knows it’s the courts that make such decisions following due process of law.

White is following Donald Trump’s game plan of sowing hostility and mistrust of minorities to win an election. White is using the issue of sanctuary city to “gin up” anti-immigrant fever and animosity as Trump has done on the national level. White throws in the homeless to add to people’s resentments and fears to win votes.

Ostensibly, White has absolutely no problem with ICE agents wearing masks, tactical vests and armed without identifying themselves to apprehend and arrest people without arrest warrants because he does not condemn it. White paints with the broadest of brush when he proclaims “I can assure you that there are many people who are illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes — including murder — that ICE is not aware of because we have not informed them.” His “assurance” is made without offering a scintilla of evidence to back up his claim. White wants to become Mayor by appealing to voter’s darkest fears of “illegal immigrants committing crimes” in a city known for its diversity and tolerance.

White throws in for good measure a healthy dose of self-righteousness. It’s false when White accused Keller of a saying “we don’t care that illegal immigrants who are committing crimes are here and to provide them a shield from apprehension.” He denounces a program approved by the Department of Homeland Security to share more information with police about immigration operations in the city. It’s false when White says it’s dangerous to law enforcement and public safety. It is simply a lie when White says that the City is a Sanctuary City when it never has been and likely will never be.

Voters would be damn fools to vote Republic Darren White as Mayor given his controversial history of public service which includes votes of no confidence by APD and the State Police who he oversaw at the time, interference with APD’s investigation of his wife’s car accident on suspicion of DWI, interference and rummaging through the civil rights attorney Mary Han’s death scene with APD brass, and his flip flop over marijuana legalization by becoming a license medical marijuana provider. Then there is the matter of White claiming he was a Florida full time resident to secure a property tax exemption on a Florida home he owns.

Voters need to reject in no uncertain terms White’s hate speech and his vile use of anti-immigrant fever that appeals to voter’s dark side of resentment, prejudice, hostility and mistrust that has no place in a city as diversified as Albuquerque. Voters should say NO to White as Mayor so he can return to and retire to his Florida home and feel more comfortable living in a Republican red state.

______________________________

POSTSCRIPT

On Sunday, July 20, the Albuquerque Journal published the below guest opinion column by City Councilor Louie Sanchez who is also running for Mayor of Albuquerque:

HEADLINE: Albuquerque’s immigration policy needs clarity, not politics

“For more than two decades, Albuquerque has been — by ordinance and by practice — an immigrant-friendly city. That’s not just a slogan. It’s a reflection of our community’s values and a bipartisan policy first championed in 2000 by Republican City Councilor Hess Yntema. His resolution recognized immigrants’ vital contributions to our culture, economy and neighborhoods. It also made clear that while Albuquerque welcomes immigrants, we are not and have never claimed to be a “sanctuary city.” The difference matters.

An immigrant-friendly city ensures all residents have access to city services, are treated with dignity and most important, local law enforcement is not subject to acting as federal immigration agents. Whereas, a sanctuary city, by contrast, often refuses cooperation with federal immigration enforcement outright, sometimes in defiance of federal law. Albuquerque’s long-standing policy strikes a careful balance between community trust, legal responsibility and its commitment to law and order as it was intended to do so since the inception of the ordinance.

Yet today, this thoughtful approach is being hijacked for political theater. The mayor’s recent announcement about “calling APD” to check on federal immigration agents is a prime example of virtue signaling without real solutions. The idea sounds good until you realize it simply reroutes people through a bureaucratic loop from APD officers to dispatchers to federal agencies that aren’t going to give out operational information. It offers no real clarity or accountability for the outcomes of these inquiries.

On the other extreme, we have political opponents demanding federal investigations, inflaming fear rather than fostering understanding of the ordinance. Neither approach serves Albuquerque’s best interest.

We should stick to the facts: Albuquerque remains an immigrant-friendly city under a policy that originated with a Republican, was reaffirmed in 2018 under ordinance R-24-45 and continues today. We respect our immigrant neighbors. But we also respect all law enforcement agencies both local or federal and allow them to operate within the law and with transparency. And we must ensure city leaders provide clear, honest information, not political gestures or partisan stunts.

As your mayor, I’ll stand for policies that reflect our values, follow the law, and actually work to inform the public and hold our city to higher standards, not just sound good in a press release.”

The link to the guest column is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/article_302aa639-4fb2-4d25-9475-50e3957d0028.html

The link to a related article is here:

Stakes Are High To Answer Trump’s Question: Is Albuquerque A “Sanctuary City” Or “Immigrant Friendly City”; Sanctuary City Becomes Issue In 2025 Mayor’s Race; 7 Out Of 11 Candidates Respond To KOAT TV 7 Line Of Questioning On Issue

Measured Finance Committees (MFC’s) Formed To Promote 3 Candidates For Mayor; Keller’s MFC Raises $107,700; Armijo’s MFC raises $120,080.00; Varela’s MFC Raises $7,500.00; “ANYONE BUT KELLER” Movement Is Real And All The Money Spent To Elect Keller To Third Term May Not Matter; Write In Candidates Still Possible

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Pete Dinelli

On Friday, June 20 the City Clerk verified that 7 candidates out of 11 total candidates for Mayor successfully gathered 100% of the 3,000 qualifying nominating petition signatures from Albuquerque registered voters. All seven will appear on the November 4 municipal ballot. If no one of the 7 candidates secures 50% plus one of the vote, the two top vote getters will face each other in a run off election which must be held within 45 days of the November 4 election.

All 11 Candidates for Mayor had from April 19, 2025 to June 21, 2025 by 5:00 pm, 64 days, to collect the required 3,000 verified signatures. The seven candidates who have qualified for the ballot gathering more than 3,000 nominating signatures are:

Incumbent Mayor Tim Keller qualified for the ballot after securing 4,786 signatures, the most of all the candidates.
Eddie Varela, a retired Albuquerque firefighter and former California fire chief, qualified after securing 3,973 signatures, the second most among candidates.
Alex Uballez, the former U.S. attorney for the District of New Mexico, qualified after securing 3,643 signatures.
Louie Sanchez, a former police officer and current city councilor, qualified after securing 3,588 signatures.
Darren White, the former sheriff of Bernalillo County and CEO of cannabis company PurLife, qualified after receiving 3,562 signatures.
Daniel Chavez, president of Parking Company of America was the very first to qualify for the ballot after securing 3,427 signatures.
Mayling Armijo, the former director of Economic Development for Bernalillo County and deputy county manager for Sandoval County, qualified after securing 3,370 signatures.

The link to a quoted or relied upon news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_a6f5a27d-e7d3-4ea0-b0f2-87a2b96431c5.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

The city link to review the City Clerk’s total raw data tabulations of verified petition signatures and rejected petition signatures for each of the 11 candidates is here:

https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/2025-candidates-and-committees-1/2025-petition-qualifying-contribution-tally

On July 14, all 7 of the candidates for Mayor file with the City Clerk their fourth Mayoral Campaign Finance report on campaign contributions raised. Following are the total amounts reported by each candidate:

Tim Keller total contributions: $23,179.57
Mayling Armijo total contributions: $38,136.65
Eddie R Varela total contributions: $6,089.96
Darren White total contributions: $73,999.95
Alexander M.M. Uballez total contributions: $79,320.46
Louie Eusebio Sanchez total contributions: $215,741.88
Daniel Chavez total contributions: $113,875.00

EDITOR’S NOTE: City Councilor Louie Sanchez contributed $160,000 to his own campaign and Daniel Chavez contributed $100,000 to his own campaign.

The link where you can review the candidates finance statements is here:

https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/2025-candidates-and-committees-1

On June 20, the City Clerk determined that Mayor Tim Keller was the only candidate to qualify for public finance and he was given $755,946 in city financing for his campaign which has yet to be reflected in Keller finance statements.

The links where you can review the city clerks tabulations for public finance s is here:

https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/2025-candidates-and-committees-1/2025-petition-qualifying-contribution-tally

MEASURED FINANCE COMMITTEES FORMED TO PROMOTE KELLER, ARMIJO VARELLA CANDIDACIES

Under the City of Albuquerque’s campaign finance laws, a Measure Finance Committee (MFC) is a political action committee (PAC), person or group that supports or opposes a candidate or ballot measure within the City of Albuquerque. Measure Finance Committees are required to register with the City Clerk. Measure finance committees are not bound by the individual contribution limits and business bans like candidates. No Measure Finance Committee is supposed to coordinate their activities with the individual candidates running for office, but this is a very gray area as to what constitutes coordination of activities, and it is difficult to enforce.

The fact that measure finance committees are not bound by the individual contribution limits and business bans like candidates is what makes them a major threat to warping and influencing our municipal elections and the outcome. Any Measure Finance Committee can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money and can produce negative ads to destroy any candidate’s reputation and candidacy.

All Measure Finance Committees must register with the Albuquerque City Clerk, regardless of the group’s registration as a political action committee (PAC) with another governmental entity, county, state or federal. Measure finance committees must also file financial “Campaign Finance Reports” reporting monetary contributions, loans, in kind donations and expenditures. Under existing law, it is illegal for any candidate for office or their campaign committee to coordinate their campaign efforts with any measured finance committee.

Three measured finance committees (MFA) to promote 3 candidates for Mayor have been formed. On July 14 the 3 committees filed finance reports with the City Clerk as follows:

Safer Albuquerque Committee (Safer ABQ)

Safer Albuquerque Committee (Safer ABQ) is the measured finance committee formed to “advocate for Mayling Armijo’s candidacy for mayor during the Albuquerque 2025 mayoral race and align with values that reduce crime, reduce homelessness, and promote job growth.”

COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS

Total Contributions: $120,080.00
Total Expenditures: $61,321.63
In-Kind Contributions: $0.00
In-Kind Expenditures: $0.00
Current Cash Balance: $58,758.30
Current Debt Balance: $0.00

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Tracy, Katrina $40,000
Armijo, Chauling Mary $40,000
Four Winds Mechanical HTC/AC Inc $40,000
Rolison, Charles $80.00

CIPGAW: Committee to Elect Eddie Varela Mayor of Albuquerque

CIPGAW: Committee to Elect Eddie Varela Mayor of Albuquerque is the measured finance committee which has been formed “for the purpose
to Elect Eddie Varela Mayor of Albuquerque.”

COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS

Total Contributions: $7,500.00
Total Expenditures: $5,524.83
In-Kind Contributions: $ -0-
In-Kind Expenditures: $-0-
Current Cash Balance: $1,975.00
Current Debt Balance: $-0-

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Day, Bradley William $7,500

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreCommitteeDetail/feXJuXAYkFJVGJBhl95rMZP4048PFnxLXRUfdOLcQk01/null/null/2/2025

ASEND ALBUQUERQUE MEASURED FINANCE COMMITEE

Ascend Albuquerque is the measured Finance Committee which has been formed for the sole purpose “to support the election of Tim Keller as Mayor of Albuquerque.” On July 14, 2025, Ascent Albuquerque filed it fourth financial disclosure statement as required by the City’s election code. Following is a summary of the Financial Report for Ascend Albuquerque:

COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS

Total Contributions: $101,700.00
Total Expenditures: $26,175.68
In-Kind Contributions: $ -0-
In-Kind Expenditures: $ -0-
Current Cash Balance: $75,524.32
Current Debt Balance: $0.00

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America: $20,000
New Mexico Building and Construction Trade Council: $20,000
Fresquez Concessions Inc: $15,000
Sangre De Cristo Hotel Investment LLC $10,000
IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund $10,000

The city link to review the Financial Disclosure Statement for Ascend Albuquerque is here:

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreCommitteeDetail/VMQvJiHXaP1z-Iz2eL_papP4048PFnxLXRUfdOLcQk01/null/null/2/2025

SEPTEMER 2 ONLY DAY FOR WRITE IN CANDIDATES TO FILE

Although the time frame for candidates to announce and qualify for the ballot for Mayor has come and gone, there is still an option for people to declare as write in candidates. In 2023, the New Mexico Legislature enacted a law that allows for write in candidates in all regular local elections which includes municipal elections. The link to the statute is here:

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/chapter-1/article-22/section-1-22-8-1/

A person desiring to be a write-in candidate for Mayor must file with the Bernalillo County Clerk a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate because it is the Bernalillo County Clerk who oversees the election and counts the ballots under the Local Election Act. Write in candidates are given only one day to file a “declaration of intent to be a write in candidate” for Mayor. The City Clerk’s Candidate Calendar published on the City Clerk’s web page states the filing date for write-in-candidates is Tuesday, September 2.

The “declaration of intent to be a write in candidate” must be accompanied by a nominating petition containing the same number of signatures required of candidates for Mayor which is 3,000 signatures. Under the law, a write-in candidate is considered a candidate for all purposes and provisions relating to candidates in the Local Election Act, except that the write-in candidate’s name shall not be printed on the ballot nor posted in any polling place.

City of Albuquerque nominating petition forms to collect signatures to nominate a candidate for Mayor as a write in candidate may be obtained from City Clerk Ethan Waston whose email address is ewatson@cabq.gov. The City Clerk’s office is located in the Plaza Del Sol Building, 600 2nd St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102 and the phone number is (505) 924-3650.

Instructions on how to use the petitions can be found at this link:

How to use the Petition Form for Mayoral Candidates

There are examples of petitions on the City Clerks training page which can be found here:

https://www.cabq.gov/vote/training-videos

EDITORS NOTE: Alpana Adair, who failed to secure qualifying nominating signatures and the qualifying $5.00 donations, is now claiming she is a write in candidate. Adair will have to file her declaration to be a write in candidate with the Bernalillo County Clerk on September 2 and also submit 3,000 verified nominating signatures from registered voters who reside within the city limits.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Mayor Tim Keller is seeking a third consecutive four-year term despite the fact he has a very low approval rating. Keller’s approval rating is believed to be in the 30% to 33% range based on past polls. Notwithstanding Keller’s low approval ratings, he will likely make it into a run off, either first or second, because of his loyal base of progressive Democrats he has relied upon every single time he has run for office including New Mexico State Senate, New Mexico State Auditor and twice as Mayor.

The fact that Keller is the only candidate to secure $755,946 in public finance and a measured finance committee that has raised another $101,700.00 to promote him for a grand total of $857,646 is a testament of the power of incumbency and is clear evidence Keller is running against a very weak field of candidates given that Keller was the only one to qualify for public finance. Given the involvement of two well-known, respected progressive Democratic fundraisers, the measured fiancé committee will likely raise thousands more to promote Keller and to tear down his opponents.

Some politcal pundits and columnists are saying that if Keller’s opponents are unable to raise sufficient campaign donations, there is a possibility that Keller could capture 50% of the vote and avoid a runoff election between the top two finishers. That is likely wishful thinking. Keller will need every penny of his public finance and the measured finance committee promotion to deal with his low approval ratings as the campaign drags on over the summer and into the fall and his opponents hit him hard on the issues until November 4.

Mayor Keller is a known quantity with extremely low approval ratings and no amount of money spent on his behalf to get him elected to a third term may be enough to reform his image in the eyes of voters who have simply had enough of him and his self promotion ways with very little results to point to. Notwithstanding, all of Keller’s opponents are relegated to scrambling for private financing unless they are wealthy enough to self-finance. Only Daniel Chavez is believed to be able to self finance.

FINAL COMMENTARY

Eight years of Tim Keller as Mayor has been more than enough. Simply put, Albuquerque needs a new Mayor. Keller is completing 8 years as Mayor and he is still struggling with the very issues he dealt with 8 years ago: high violent crime rates, drugs, the homeless crisis and a corrupt APD. Things have not gotten any better under his leadership and some would say the city is worse off today than when he was first elected in 2017. What can he really accomplish with another 4 more years when he has had 8?

“ANY ONE BUT KELLER”

There exists a serious undercurrent of dissatisfaction with all 7 candidates, especially Mayor Tim Keller. Although City Hall observers and political pundits are saying the election is Keller’s to lose, what they fail to take into account is the “any one but Keller movement”. It can also be called “Keller Fatique” which is what happened with “Chavez Fatique ” when Democrat Mayor Marty Chavez attempted to seek a third consecutive four year term in 2009 and he lost to Republican Richard Berry. Simply put, people want change.

The “any one but Keller movement ” comes into sharp focus when the local news stations publish stories on FACEBOOK where Keller is interviewed at length about his candidacy and literally hundreds of public comments are made that are all negative and berating Keller for his failure to address and solve the city’s problems. Candidates who are running for city council and who were going door to door to collect nominating signatures and $5.00 for their own candidacies reported they were encountering strong anti-Keller sentiment at the doors with them being asked questions if they support Keller for reelection.

It is doubtful any of the 6 running against Keller will be able to raise the kind of money that will be spent to get Keller elected to a third term. But that may not matter given Keller’s high negatives. No amount of public finance money spent by Keller and the Ascend Albuquerque MFC may be able to overcome his high negatives and reform his image. Simply put, Keller has overstayed his welcome and voters want change. Hope springs eternal that over the course of the campaign that one of the six running against Keller will in fact raise enough money to emerge as a viable candidate and succeed in removal of an entrenched politician.

Given the overall dissatisfaction and disappointment with the six candidates running against Keller, and the overall voter dissatisfaction with Keller himself, there is a chance that there will be one or more write in candidates that could take advantage of the “any one but Keller movement”. There is still time to collect the 3,000 signatures needed to be a recognized write in candidate and to file a declaration of candidacy as a write in on September 2.

It’s fully understood that write in candidacy’s are considered long shots, but given the nature of the times and voter dissatisfaction in general with city hall, success could be achieved by a write in candidate. With the new state law, community leaders, neighborhood associations, civic organizations, activists and those in the business community who are dissatisfied with the 7 candidates now still have the option to recruit one of their own of like mind.

If not, it is likely we will have another 4 years of disastrous policies, either under Mayor Tim Keller as he continues with his disastrous policies or one of the 6 others running against him who will implement their own disastrous policy’s.

The link to a related article is here:

4th Mayoral Campaign Finance Report Filed; Candidates Contribute Significant Amounts To Own Campaigns; Councilor Louie Sanchez Contributes $160,000 To Own Race; Daniel Chavez Contributes $100,000 To Own Race; Tim Keller Only Candidate To Secure Public Finance Of $755, 946; Public Finance Favors Incumbents

4th Mayoral Campaign Finance Report Filed; Candidates Contribute Significant Amounts To Own Campaigns; Councilor Louie Sanchez Contributes $160,000 To Own Race; Daniel Chavez Contributes $100,000 To Own Race; Tim Keller Only Candidate To Secure Public Finance Of $755, 946; Public Finance Favors Incumbents

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Pete Dinelli

The seven candidates for Mayor who have qualified for the November 4 ballot are:

Tim Keller, Incumbent Mayor
Mayling Armijo,the former director of Economic Development for Bernalillo County and deputy county manager for Sandoval County.
Eddie Varela,a retired Albuquerque firefighter and former California fire chief.
Darren White,the former sheriff of Bernalillo County and CEO of cannabis company PurLife.
Alex Uballez,the former U.S. attorney for the District of New Mexico
Louie Sanchez,a former police officer and current city councilor.
Daniel Chavez,president of Parking Company of America.

On July 14, all 7 of the candidates for Mayor were required to file with the City Clerk their fourth Mayoral Campaign Finance report on contributions and expenditures. Following is a summary review of those reports:

TIMOTHY KELLER

COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS: $23,179.57
Total Expenditures: $16,314.66
In-Kind Contributions: $1,396.25
In-Kind Expenditures: $248.16
Current Cash Balance: $6,864.91
Current Debt Balance: $0.00

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Keller, Tim $2,500
Garcia Realty $2,500
Keller, Timothy $650
Porte, Oroana $615
Wellborn, Charles/Jeanette $500

Click here to review the financial disclosure statement and to download all filed contributions and filed expenditures for Mayor Tim Keller:

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreDetails/yoees8S9dosDI1OaCKWi1JP4048PFnxLXRUfdOLcQk01/2/null/2/2025

Mayor Tim Keller lists 28 contributors for a total of $23,179.57.

Mayor Tim Keller’s 4^th financial statement fails to report that he has qualified for $755, 946 in public finance. On June 20, the City Clerk determined that Tim Keller was the only candidate to qualify for public finance in the amount of $755,946. The following are the processed public finance qualifying donations for Tim Keller verified on Friday June 20:

Required Qualifying Contributions: 3,780
Verified Qualifying Contributions: 4,046
Rejected Qualifying Contributions: 361
Remaining Qualifying Contributions Needed: -0-
Percentage of Verified Qualifying Contributions Met: 100%

https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/2025-candidates-and-committees-1/2025-petition-qualifying-contribution-tally

MAYLING ARMIJO

COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS

Total Contributions: $38,136.65
Total Expenditures: $35,327.84
In-Kind Contributions: $2,257.72
In-Kind Expenditures: $0.00
Current Cash Balance: $2,808.81
Current Debt Balance: $15,175.65

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Armijo, Mayling $15,000
Armijo, Chaling $6,000
Tracy, Katrina $6,000
Four Winds Mechanical $6,000
Green Castle Media Inc $1,508

Click here to review the financial disclosure statement and to download all filed contributions and filed expenditures for MAYLING ARMIJO:

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreDetails/lRnEYQd4H9z-h4QAAWqHPZP4048PFnxLXRUfdOLcQk01/2/null/2/2025

Mayling Armijo lists 28 contributors for a total of $38,136.65.

EDDIE VARELA

COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS

Total Contributions: $6,089.96
Total Expenditures: $4,600.36
In-Kind Contributions: $2,300.00
In-Kind Expenditures: $300.00
Current Cash Balance; $1,441.90
Current Debt Balance: $0.00

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Varela, Eddie R. $2,827
Angie Custom Designs $1,300
Stewart, Chester & Diane $1,000
MDG Entertainment $500
The Grill $500

Click here to review the financial disclosure statement and to download all filed contributions and filed expenditures for EDDIE VARELA:

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreDetails/Z9RllTzngK2bi6GfQSm9AJP4048PFnxLXRUfdOLcQk01/2/null/2/2025

Eddie Varela lists 29 contributors for a total of $6,089.96 in contributions.

DARREN WHITE

COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS

Total Contributions: $73,999.95
Total Expenditures: $57,081.77
In-Kind Contributions: $14,329.16
In-Kind Expenditures: $25.00
Current Cash Balance: $16,918.18
Current Debt Balance: $20,000.00

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

White, Darren $20,000
White, Darren $8,765
Morrison, Gregory $5,000
Morrison, Grady $5,000
Doug Peterson Investments $1,700

Click here to review the financial disclosure statement and to download all filed contributions and filed expenditures for Darren White:

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreDetails/L7j64Ew1a0rWwbrOJFbL4JP4048PFnxLXRUfdOLcQk01/2/null/2/2025

Darren White lists 429 contributors for a total of $73,999.95 contributions

ALEXANDER M.M. UBALLEZ

Total Contributions: $79,320.46
Total Expenditures: $27,960.76
In-Kind Contributions: $88.70
In-Kind Expenditures: $0.00
Current Cash Balance: $51,359.70
Current Debt Balance: $0.00

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Colon, Aleli $2,407.27
Murphy, Haley $2,407.27
Cox, Diane $1,203.22
Gomez, Gabriela $1,200.00
Maldonado, Agnes $1,000.00

Click here to review the financial disclosure statement and to download all filed contributions and filed expenditures for Alexander M.M. Uballez:

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreDetails/YjD7dBPe243VBfqRi2eazQpRrh19RviUIoO4CmCWDAE1/2/null/2/2025

ALEXANDER M.M. UBALLEZ lists 307 contributors for a total of $79,320.46 in contributions.

LOUIE EUSEBIO SANCHEZ

COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS

Total Contributions: $215,741.88
Total Expenditures: $34,115.55
In-Kind Contributions: $1,000.00
In-Kind Expenditures: $0.00
Current Cash Balance: $181,626.33
Current Debt Balance: $152,500.00

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Sanchez, Louie $150,000
Sanchez, Louie $10,000
Peterson Properties $6,000
Thomas P. Tinnin $6,000
Alarid, Vanessa $6,000

Click here to review the financial disclosure statement and to download all filed contributions and filed expenditures for Louie Eusebio Sanchez:

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreDetails/t4aI25Nr9EiUnEI8lwunGApRrh19RviUIoO4CmCWDAE1/2/null/2/2025

LOUIE EUSEBIO SANCHEZ lists 106 contributors for a total of $215,741.88 in contributions.

DANIEL CHAVEZ

COMBINED FINANCIAL TOTALS

Total Contributions: $113,875.00
Total Expenditures: $100,979.87
In-Kind Contributions: $0.00
In-Kind Expenditures: $0.00
Current Cash Balance: $12,895.13
Current Debt Balance: $0.00

TOP CONTRIBUTORS

Chavez, Daniel $100,000
Chaves, Karthleen $6,000
Peterson Properties LLC $6,000
Bataglia, Ava $1,000
Martin, John Bradley $600
Perterson, Douglas $200

Click here to review the financial disclosure statement and to download all filed contributions and filed expenditures for Daniel Chavez:

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreDetails/3XlNxpvg2kPbP3TGLUHobwpRrh19RviUIoO4CmCWDAE1/2/null/2/2025

Daniel Chavez lists 9 contributors for a total of $113,875.00 in contributions.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Originally, the candidates who made the ballot and who were privately financed candidates were:

Mayling Armijo
Daniel Chavez.

Originally, the candidates who made the ballot and who were public financed candidates were:

Mayor Tim Keller
Eddie Varela
Darren White
Alexander M. M. Uballez
Louie Eusebio Sanchez

Mayor Tim Keller was the only candidate to secure public finance and his six opponents are all now privately financed candidates. Louie Sanchez, Darren White, Daniel Chavez, Mayling Armijo have all made significant personal contributions to promote their candidacies. The biggest question is if Keller’s six opponents will be able to match to any degree Keller’s extreme financial advantage to run viable campaigns.

PUBLIC FINANCE FAVORS INCUMBENTS

Albuquerque’s public finance system has come under sever criticism in the Mayor’s race as favoring incumbents who have high name identification and a volunteer network. In the Mayor’s race, public finance candidates had to collect 3,780 donations of $5.00 to the city from registered voters to qualify for the city to give them $755,946 in city financing for their campaigns. The time frame to collect both nominating petition signatures and $5.00 qualifying contributions was the same and it was from April 19, 2025 to June 21, 2025, a mere 64 days.

Originally 8 out of 11 candidates for Mayor declared themselves to be “public finance” candidates and they were Alpana Adair, Alexander Uballez, Darren White, Tim Keller, Louis Sanchez, Edie Varella, Patrick Sais and Adeo Herrick. Soon, 7 of the 8 candidates abandoned their efforts to qualify for public finance. Only Mayor Tim Keller qualified for public finance and was given $755,946 in city financing for his campaign.

Alpana Adair withdrew from public finance after collecting only seven verified $5.00 contributions. Patrick Sais withdrew after collecting only two.

Eddie Varela withdrew after collecting 95 of the 3,685 donations or 3%. Varela had this to say:

“I was of the belief that [public finance] would help just a regular guy or gal run for office and would be a great benefit to everybody. … I don’t believe that anymore. I believe it’s flawed, and it needs to be revisited.”

On May 30, former United States Attorney Alexander Uballez abruptly ended his efforts to seek public finance. Uballez said this:

“I’m the fourth candidate to make this decision. When the only candidate who appears on track to qualify for public financing is the incumbent, it’s a clear sign that this isn’t working as it should.

On June 2, City Councilor Louie Sanchez became the fifth candidate to withdraw from public finance and become a private financed candidate.

https://www.cabq.gov/clerk/documents/sanchez-withdrawal-as-an-applicant-candida

Sanchez said this of his withdrawal from public finance:

“One of the things that I’ve found out about public finance is that it’s extremely difficult. When you get into the realm of public financing, there is a lot of things that play in. We’re noticing that in this day and age, not everybody has a five-dollar bill, our volunteers don’t have change. … Since it’s online, or the online link, it takes several times or several tries to get the cumbersome process going.”

On June 8, former Bernalillo County Sherriff Darren White became the sixth candidate to withdraw from public finance by filing with the city clerk a withdrawal notice. White said this:

“Despite our tireless grassroots efforts, it became clear that we would not be able to meet the remaining 1,800 qualifying $5 donations within the two-week deadline. … The only person who has qualified for [public finance] in the past two elections is Tim Keller. And so what does that tell you? It tells you that the system is, as I said, it’s an incumbent protection plan.”

The Keller campaign said qualifying for public financing isn’t supposed to be easy. In a statement, Keller took issue with all his opponents’ claims that the public finance rules favor incumbents. Keller said this in a statement:

“Complaining that public financing doesn’t work is like blaming the ref because you can’t hit your free throws — it’s not the system’s fault you’re falling short. The real issue isn’t the rules; it’s a lack of grassroots support, campaign credibility, and the organizational strength to lead.

FINAL ANALYSIS

The fact that only incumbent Mayor Tim Keller qualified for public finance this election year is clear evidence that the public finance system has been set up for candidates to fail and that it favors incumbents. The fact that the 4 incumbent City Councilors were also the only ones who qualified for public finance is further evidence that the system favors incumbents and discourages opposition.

Some have argued, especially Mayor Keller and his staunchest supporters that public finance is a system that is “supposed to be hard”. Keller and his staunchest supporters are essentially saying public finance is designed to “weed out” candidates who are incapable of mounting serious campaigns or who have little or no political support. But building political support by newcomers to the political process is what political campaigns are all about and that can only accomplished with adequate funding.

Increases to the amount of public finance over the years were done to allow public finance candidates to compete with private financed candidates. But the problem is the system allows candidates to publicly finance and then allows their supporters to just turn around and set up measured finance committees so they can have the best of both worlds which is something Mayor Tim Keller and his enablers have perfected.

Making it so hard that no one qualifies for public finance but incumbents is a mockery of the purpose and intent of public finance which is to encourage qualified people to run who cannot afford to run and who are not independently wealthy and who are not politically connected.

Darren White’s Florida Residency Claim In 2022 To Get Out Of Paying Florida Property Tax Does Not Disqualify Him From Mayor’s Race; White Became City Resident In 2024 Moving From A Luxury Home In County To An Apartment In City Enabling Him To Run For Mayor; All Of White’s Flaws Matter Not To Staunch MAGA Republicans Who Will Vote For Him

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Pete Dinelli

On Sunday, June 29, 2025, the Albuquerque Journal ran a front-page banner headline story complete with a flattering color photo of Darren White. The article was entitled “Mayoral Hopeful Claimed Florida Tax Break Meant For Full Residents.” The link to read the unedited full Albuquerque Journal article is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_e21410a0-00dc-4b77-99a2-5c721ff19922.html

Darren White is the controversial former Bernalillo County Sherriff who is one of seven candidates who have qualified for the November 4 ballot, including Mayor Tim Keller, who is seeking a third four-year term. White secured the 3,000 required signatures to secure a ballot position to appear on the November 4 ballot. Initially, White was also seeking public financing but failed to secure the required 3,780 donations of $5.00 to the city from registered voters and he is now a privately finance candidate. Mayor Tim Keller is the only candidate out of 7 candidates to qualify for the $755,946 in public finance by collecting the required qualifying donations.

FLORIDA PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION

Following is an edited and quoted version of the Journal article written by Journal Staff writer Justin Garcia:

“Darren White took a $50,000 Florida property tax exemption on a beachside home he owns in a small Florida town that resulted in him saving a few thousand dollars in property taxes. Government documents show White purchased the property in 2019. The house is a single-family home located in Port St. Joe, a town in the Florida panhandle with a population of approximately 3,775 residents.”

According to a Zillow search, homes in St. Joe sell for upwards of $500,000.

https://www.zillow.com/home-values/20024/port-saint-joe-fl/

“[The controversy for White is that] the property tax break requires the property owner to be a Florida resident. [According to the Journal story] emails available to the public, voting records and property records shared with the paper by an out of state Republican political consulting firm, and independently verified by the Albuquerque Journal, show that White has claimed a house in Port St. Joe, Florida, as his primary residence since 2022.”

“The Florida Gulf County Appraiser’s Office, which oversees property assessment duties for Port St. Joe, confirmed that White has received the homestead exemption since 2022. White has also paid taxes on the house since buying it in 2019. An email from 2022 between White and the Appraiser’s Office shows that White confirmed he wanted the property tax exemption.”

“To be given the Homeowners tax exemption, the Appraiser’s Office had to receive copies of utilities bills, bank information and a Florida driver’s license to establish Florida residency. The Florida county’s Appraiser’s Office confirmed they had received all three of the required documents from White and White confirmed in an email that he had a Florida driver license at one point.”

“Gulf County Appraiser’s Office website listed White’s Florida residence as receiving a homestead exemption. On June 18, White told the Journal he planned to withdraw the property tax and as of June 25, the Florida County Appraiser’s Office listed the property as no longer receiving it.”

“When contacted by phone by the Journal, White confirmed that he owns the house in Florida but stated it is not his permanent residence and that he would contact the appropriate appraiser to have the $50,000 exemption removed. White further argued that the situation amounted to nothing more than a “simple oversight” when asked if he felt like he should reimburse Florida State Gulf County.”

White offered the following explanation:

“I briefly lived in Florida but moved back in 2022 and changed my voter registration accordingly. I still have a home in Florida that is now a rental property. The property tax designation was inadvertent. It has been corrected, and all my taxes are up to date and paid in full. … We are confident voters care more about crime in Albuquerque than property tax technicalities in Florida.”

ALBUQUERQUE RESIDENCY REQUIRED TO RUN FOR MAYOR

New Mexico Statute 1-1-7 (2024) states that for a candidate to qualify for an office they are running for, the candidate must file in the district where they reside. Residency for candidates is determined by the rules outlined in Section 1-1-7 NMSA 1978. For City Councilor candidates, this means they must reside in the specific city council district they are seeking to represent. For Mayor, they must reside within the city limits itself. This statute also allows candidates to change their residency up to the filing date, as long as the district remains within the same boundaries.

The link to the New Mexico statute regarding residency is here:

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/chapter-1/article-1/section-1-1-7/

New Mexico Statutes Section 1-22-3 (2024) outlines the requirements for candidates in regular local elections. Specifically, it states that a person must physically reside within the district they wish to represent and be a registered voter in that area on the date the election is called.

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/chapter-1/article-22/section-1-22-3/

Article II of the City of Albuquerque Charter governing municipal elections can be found here:

https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/albuquerque/latest/albuqcharter/0-0-0-144

There is no minimum amount of time that a person must be a resident in the city for a person to run for Mayor of Albuquerque. All that is required for a person to run for Mayor of Albuquerque is:

A person must be a registered qualified elector on the date they file their declaration of candidacy with the city clerk. (A person must be 18 years or older to register to vote.)
Be a resident of the city of Albuquerque.
File with the City Clerk a petition containing signatures of three thousand registered city voters to be placed on the ballot.

Darren White meets all three requirements to run for Mayor.

CITY CLERKS ASSERTS RESIDENCY CONTRADICTION

“White claiming a Florida residency for a tax exemption creates a contradiction as to his residency status. Albuquerque City Clerk Ethan Watson, [who is also a licensed attorney], declined to specify whether it might apply to White’s case. Eligibility questions are district court matters to decide. A city clerk spokesperson said this:

“The City cannot comment on issues that could come before the Board of Ethics or other adjudicatory bodies.”

The Albuquerque Journal found that White currently does indeed have an address in Albuquerque as well as a long voting record in local elections and he has no history of voting in Florida. Voting records show that White has a history of being a New Mexico voter. Bernalillo County Clerk records reveal that White voted in the 2022 general election, the 2024 primary election, and the 2024 general election. There are no Florida records that show White voted in Florida elections.

White said this about his residency:

“I am very clearly a resident of Albuquerque — and live and pay taxes here.”

CANIDATES DENOUNCE WHITE’S CONDUCT

Democrat Alexander Uballez, III is the former United States Attorney for New Mexico. He is one of the six candidates running for Mayor against Tim Keller. Uballez was quick to question White’s conduct of claiming a Florida property tax exception and said this:

“While our neighbors are struggling to afford rent or keep up with property tax, Darren White was avoiding paying his fair share on his beachfront home in Florida. Especially right now, we need a mayor with a track record of serving the public good, not dodging their responsibility to contribute to it. Among a long list of disqualifications, this raises the question of whether this is the quality of leadership we deserve.”

On social media, Mayor Tim Keller’s campaign posted the following:

“Dear ABQ Neighbor, Did you catch the story. . .about Republican Darren White claiming a $50,000 tax break meant only for full-time Florida residents?. . . White declared his beachside house as his primary residence–even while voting in New Mexico and now running for Mayor. He submitted a Florida driver’s license, utility bills, and bank records to make it official. That’s not just a “simple oversight.” It’s classic tax-dodging–and it raises real questions about Darren White’s honesty, integrity, and legal compliance. And let’s be honest: it’s straight out of the Trump playbook. Dodging taxes, playing both sides, and expecting no consequences.”

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

WHITE BECOMES ALBUQUERQUE RESDENT IN LATE 2024

Darren White’s candidate address listed in his campaign disclosure statement filed with the City Clerk and which is public record lists 6701 Tennyson ST NE, #7004, Albuquerque, NM 87122 as his home address. The apartment is within the City limits.

https://www.cabq.gov/vote/candidate-information/2025-candidates-and-committees-1

Voter registration rolls as of March 10, 2025, which are public record, reflect Darren White’s last known primary residence as of December 16, 2024 is also the apartment located at 6701 Tennyson ST NE.

It is true when White says he is “clearly a resident of Albuquerque — and live[s] and pay taxes here”. He is a Bernalillo County registered voter as he voted in the 2022 and 2024 election cycles. What Darren White has not disclose is that he has only resided within the city limits ostensibly since November 14, 2023.

According to Bernalillo County property records, Darren White’s primary residence until November 14, 2023 was a custom made, 3,727 square foot, single story home located in North Albuquerque Acres at 11620 Signal Ave, NE which is located in unincorporated area of Bernalillo County and not within the City limits. The home has 4 bedrooms, 4 baths with a living room and dining room, an office with a wet bar, and gourmet kitchen with duel built-in refrigerators.

The home in North Albuquerque Acres was listed for sale 2 times, once on September 21, 2023 and re-listed on September 24, 2023. White’s county home sold on November 14, 2023 for $1,000,000 (MLS # 1041884) to a Mark S. Sanchez. Upon information and belief, Mark Sanchez is the Executive Director of the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA).

White admitted he briefly lived in Florida in 2022. He was a Florida resident at the time when he secured the Florida tax exemption, but he said he moved back in 2022. White ostensibly bought the North Albuquerque Acres home and changed his primary residence and voter registration back to New Mexico. He purchased the home in North Albuquerque Acres, which is in Bernalillo County, later sold it on November 14, 2023 and then moved into an apartment located within the city limits. It appears that Darren White sold a $1 million dollar, 3,727 square foot luxury home in the county and then moved into an apartment located within city limits enabling him to run for Mayor of Albuquerque.

The law mandates that White live within the City limits to run for Mayor and he could not run for Mayor if he lived in unincorporated Bernalillo County. Upon his return to New Mexico and changing his residency, White had the obligation to notify Florida tax authorities that he was no longer a Florida resident, no longer qualified for the tax exemption and that his primary residence was in New Mexico. White did so, but only after it was reported by the Albuquerque Journal.

Simply put, what happened in Florida remains in Florida. The tax exemption and his cessation of primary residency in Florida is between Florida authorities and Darren White and not New Mexico nor the City of Albuquerque. It will be very difficult to prove in a court of law that White’s primary residence is a Florida residency to disqualify him from running for Mayor and being removed from the ballot. White’s Albuquerque primary residence centers on his personal intent and he will likely be found by any New Mexico State District court that his primary residence is within the Albuquerque city limits, he is a registered New Mexico voter with a voting record, he pays bills and taxes here and he has legitimately qualified for the ballot as an Albuquerque resident.

DARREN WHITE RUNS FOR MAYOR

It was on March 6, former Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Public Safety, Former Bernalillo County Sheriff and former Albuquerque Chief Public Safety Officer Darren White announced that he is running for Mayor of Albuquerque. White made the announcement by uploading a slick campaign video to the social media website X. White called himself a fiscal conservative and vowed to crack down on crime and the homeless in Albuquerque

White joined the race with a vow to be a “proven leader,” “tough on crime” and a “champion for change.” In his announcement, White asserts that there have been 660 murders during Keller’s years in office, that an alarming number of businesses have had to close because of crime and that Keller has made Albuquerque a “sanctuary city.” White proclaimed in his announcement:

“Mayor Keller has presided over the most murders in Albuquerque’s history. His weak approach to crime and homelessness has failed and it’s time for change.”

In a fund raising letter, White vilifies “illegal immigrants” and falsely proclaimed this:

Albuquerque is not a “Sanctuary City” as White mouthed off. A “Sanctuary City” is a jurisdiction that prohibits local law enforcement from enforcing and arresting for violations of immigration laws leaving that work exclusively to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A “Sanctuary City” requires the local government to protect the undocumented from federal authorities.

“Immigrant Friendly” cities on the other hand enact policies that are favorable to undocumented people to allow services and its local law enforcement personnel do not make arrests for violations of federal immigration laws and only make arrests of undocumented people for violations of local ordinances and state laws. Albuquerque’s Immigrant Friendly ordinance prevents city resources from being used for immigration enforcement or for sharing information about an individual’s immigration status, unless legally required. City employees, including law enforcement, and all city departments are not allowed to ask for a person’s immigrant status, and no department is allowed to maintain statistics on immigrants.

It was in 2001, long before Keller became Mayor, that the city council declared the city to be an “Immigrant-Friendly City” by City Council ordinance originally sponsored by former Republican City Councilor Hess Yntema who represented the South East Heights area, including the International District. The ordinance declares the City Of Albuquerque to be an Immigrant-Friendly City. It establishes City Of Albuquerque policies regarding immigrants and their families, regardless of immigration status and establishes a city immigrant resource program.

https://cabq.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1256769&GUID=C68CF8DC-7161-498C-A997-FF2D664B7E0E&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=R-2001-009&FullText=1

White said he will provide officers with resources and support they need to take action against homeless encampments after a Supreme Court decision in 2024. White said this:

“The Supreme Court has given cities the authority to clean up these tent cities, but Mayor Keller has refused to do so. That will change when I am elected mayor.”

When White was Chief Public Safety Officer under Mayor Richard Berry, White said it was time to “take the gloves off when dealing with the homeless” in order to remove the homeless from downtown Albuquerque. Three of those arrested later sued the city and the city settled the cases for $98,000

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/what-works-albuquerque-homeless-solution-housing-policy-214527

Mayor Tim Keller has established the Albuquerque Community Safety Division Department which employs teams of two trained professionals with experience in behavioral health and crisis intervention. They are dispatched to deal with the unhoused and to get them off the streets and reduce APD police calls for service. According to Keller, the city does hundreds of sweeps a month to remove homeless encampments.

https://www.cabq.gov/acs/services

DARREN WHITE’S HISTORY OF CONTROVERSY

In 1987, White moved to New Mexico and joined the Albuquerque Police Department Academy. White holds a B.A. in Management from the University of Phoenix and has one son, Darren II. After his graduation from the APD Academy, White was assigned and served in the department’s Field Services Bureau, Motorcycle Patrol Unit and Crimes Against Children Unit. He reached the rank of Sergeant. While with APD, White joined the department band “The Force” as the lead singer with the band performing in their APD uniforms to school children warning them about the dangers of abusing drugs and bellowing out in rock style lyrics “Just Say No!”

In 1995, Republican Governor Gary Johnson appointed White to head the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. At 31, White was the youngest state public safety director in the country. White also chaired Johnson’s cabinet council on crime and corrections.

While serving as secretary of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, members of the New Mexico State Police Officers Association voted 243 – 31 “No Confidence” against White. The state police officers accused White of improperly supplying equipment and cars to its officers, which they felt was an officer safety issue.

https://www.police1.com/police-administration/articles/nm-police-have-no-confidence-in-safety-director-nQZQa5iQFpN4EEU3/

White had a very sudden and dramatic parting of the ways with Governor Gary Johnson over Johnson announcing his support for the legalization of all drugs. White resigned in a “puff” as cabinet secretary saying he could never support the legalization of drugs.

WHITE WAS AGAINST POT BEFORE HE MADE MONEY OFF POT

White’s previous public statements and actions against marijuana reform have been extensive. In 2007, when medical marijuana became legal in New Mexico, White was vehemently opposed to it. White said this:

“I’ve never supported medical marijuana. … I’m very sympathetic to the patients – I watched my father die of cancer, and it’s the most difficult thing in the world – but I don’t think you have to smoke marijuana to gain the comfort and relief that’s provided by the THC.”

In 2002, as executive director of Protect New Mexico, White lobbied against both a medical marijuana bill and Johnson’s effort to decriminalize marijuana. When the state Legislature rejected Johnson’s decriminalization bill, White said it was “a victory to our children and our neighborhoods.”

On a 2002 medical marijuana bill, White told the Albuquerque Journal at the time that the issue needed more research.

https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2015/09/02/green-and-white-former-sheriff-wants-in-on-medical-marijuana/

When Republican Governor Susana Martinez became governor, Darren White changed his tune on the legalization of marijuana and benefited from a state license he was awarded by the Martinez Administration to sell medical marijuana. White showed what a hypocrite he is when following his career in law enforcement he started his own cannabis dispensary company call PurLife. He served on the Board of Directors and CEO of Purlife, a medical marijuana distribution company. Despite lobbying against state medical cannabis legalization efforts, White changed his stance on the substance and ran his medical cannabis company, which sold just before New Mexico legalized recreational use.

SEE Pure Life Management Group., LLC, Business ID number 5545730 at

https://enterprise.sos.nm.gov/search/business

WHITE THE “NEWSHOUND”

After resigning his cabinet position with Johnson, White joined the news staff at KRQE-TV, Albuquerque’s CBS affiliate. White was a crime reporter at the station for two years. He left the station in 2002 to run for Bernalillo County Sherriff.

https://www.gaar.com/images/uploads/ld-darren_white_bio.pdf

WHITE THE BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF

White was elected Bernalillo County Sheriff in 2002 and reelected in 2006. As Bernalillo County Sheriff, Darren White helped TruTouch Technologies secure a sole-source contract in the amount of $379,995 to “supply alcohol screening and testing prototype equipment.”

White notified the County Commission that “the Sheriff’s Department fully supports the Sole Source contract award to TruTouch Technologies of Albuquerque.”

White was also running for US Congress at the time and received campaign contributions from TruTouch officers during a prohibited time.

https://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/democracy_for_new_mexico/darren-white/

WHITE THE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE

In 2008, White was the Republican nominee for US Congress in New Mexico’s 1st congressional district facing then Albuquerque City Councilman Martin Heinrich. Heinrich defeated White in a landslide with Heinrich elected with 55.5% to Whites 44.5%. White has said in the past that he was a Republican Conservative long before Donald Trump ever was. White has the signature of Ronald Reagan tattoo on his ankle that he is very proud of and is known to show off to others.

WHITE THE ABQ CHIEF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER AND DIRECTOR OF SAFE CITY STRIKE FORCE

In December 2009, White was appointed Albuquerque’s Chief Public Safety Director by Republican Mayor Richard J. Berry who had just been elected for his first term. White replaced former Albuquerque City Councilor and Former Chief Deputy District Attorney Pete Dinelli as the City’s Chief Public Safety Officer and Director of the Safe City Strike Force.

Simply put, Republican Darren White blew it when he was Chief Public Safety Officer and Director of the Safe City Strike Force under Republican Mayor Richard Berry and together they did irreparable damage to the city’s safety and the Albuquerque Police Department.

SAFE CITY STRIKE FORCE

The Safe City Strike Force was responsible for taking aggressive action against nuisance property’s and took code enforcement action against both commercial and residential properties that were determined to be magnets for crime. For a period of seven years during which time Marty Chavez was Mayor, the Safe City Strike Force, took enforcement actions against 6,500 + properties throughout the city. The Strike Force cleaned up Central taking enforcement actions against dozens of run-down motels along Central and tearing down 8 motels and closing violent bars deemed a nuisance. The Strike Force was recognized nationally as a best practice program.

City hall confidential sources confirmed Mayor Richard Berry ordered the dismantling of the Safe City Strike Force because of demands by the business community sector and slum lords who were opposed to aggressive city code enforcement that held them accountable for code violations. Darren White carried out Berry’s orders and code enforcement actions ceased because Darren White was not a licensed attorney and he did nothing when it came to code enforcement against nuisance properties.

WHITE’S “NO CONFIDENCE VOTE” BY APD

Darren White, as a former Bernalillo County Sherriff, had no problem with the political appointment by Mayor Richard Berry of Republican Gordon Eden as APD Chief. Eden had no experience working within APD an no experience managing a large law enforcement department. When Berry and White first took over APD, it was the best trained, best paid and best equipped in department in its history. APD had in December 2009 a total of 1,100 full time sworn police officers, the largest number in its history.

Eden was a poor choice for APD Chief and the Department went into a complete meltdown. Under Berry, Edens and White’s leadership, APD sworn personnel plummeted, and it hit low of 850 because they could not keep up with retirements.

APD moral plummeted under White’s leadership. Darren White was given a vote of “no confidence” from the APD union because he took away the take home vehicle policy for cops and he stopped the pay increases negotiated with the union contract. White also imposed severe pay cuts he implemented in violation of the police union contract negotiated in good faith by the police union.

https://www.koat.com/article/police-union-to-vote-no-confidence-in-darren-white/5035368

WHITE INSERTS SELF INTO MARY HAN DEATH CASE

One of the most disgraceful things Darren White did when he was Chief Public Safety Officer involved APD’s investigation into the 2010 death of prominent Civil Rights and Defense attorney Mary Han who was often at odds with both the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, including when Darren White was Bernalillo County Sherriff. Initially, the Office of the Medical Investigator ruled her death a suicide, but her family never bought it. A few years back, then District Court Judge David Thomson ordered OMI to change the manner of death from “suicide” to “undetermined.”

When the call was made to APD reporting that Mary Han was found dead in the seat of her car in her garage, then Chief Public Safety Director Darren White and city spokesman T.J. Wilham dispatched themselves to the scene along with then APD Deputy Chiefs Beth Paiz, Paul Feist, Allen Banks, then Valley Area Commander Rae Mason, then-City Attorney Rob Perry, and then police crime lab director Marc Adams and four sergeants, including a designated APD spokeswoman.

White and his APD subordinates dispatched themselves to the scene ostensibly to “investigate” and to view Han’s body. They were all given free access to the scene thereby interfering with the investigation. An Attorney General investigation found that APD mishandled the investigation and reached several “principal findings”. Those findings include:

The large number of APD personnel given access to Han’s home “materially interfered with the investigation process”.
“Significant”items were either removed from Han’s death scene or were “otherwise missing,” further complicating the case by thwarting scientific analysis and evidence collection.
A high-ranking APD official made a “precipitous decision” to label Han’s death a suicide before any investigation had been conducted.

The Han family sued the office of medical investigator and succeeded in having Mary Han’s death certificate cause of death change from suicide to undetermined.

WHITE’S “RETIREMENT” FROM CITY

On July 15, 2011, Darren White announced what he called his “retirement” from the city a little more than a week after he showed up to the scene of a car crash involving his wife where he took her from the scene and then drove her to the hospital. First responders never gave Kathy White a blood test even though a police report indicates she showed signs of impairment. Darren White released his wife’s urinalysis results that showed a drug screen came back negative. Documents show the test was roughly five hours after the accident which called into question the accuracy of the test White released. A blood draw test is much more comprehensive than a urine test, but a blood test was never performed.

White’s retirement came shortly after a City Council meeting in which a five-person committee voted to start compiling a list of outside investigators who could be called on to review White’s actions during his wife’s car accident. White maintained that he did nothing wrong and violated no policies but none the less he retired. The Police Oversight Commission exonerated White of any wrongdoing in the incident later that year.

https://www.koat.com/article/darren-white-retires-from-city-post/5036906

WHITE THE “RACINO MANAGER”

In July 2012, Darren White was appointed as the New Downs General Manager. According to the Response to RFP submitted by the Downs on August 25, 2011, the General Manager position “has been created in anticipation of the new facility”. In other words, White was given a job that did not previously exist. The Downs General Manager is “responsible for the day-to-day operations of The Downs, including implementing and monitoring policies, establishing and managing the budget, hiring and training the management team, ensuring managers are actively monitoring compliance with all regulatory requirements and providing overall operational support.”

The problem was Darren White had no gaming management experience when he was named the New Downs General Manager. The new Casino had not yet been built so there was nothing to manage. White’s only involvement with the racino before was as a “security consultant” helping the Downs at Albuquerque prepare its response to the RFP. White then briefly worked as the Project Manager at the Downs for the construction of the updated racino.

Confidential sources report that Darren White was given the job because of his close personal friendship and association to Jay McCleskey, then Governor Martinez’s political consultant who involved himself in the award of the racinos lease by the state, and his very close ties to Downs lobbyists/lawyers Pat Rogers and Mickey Barnett. During her first year in office, Republican Governor Susana Martinez was alleged to have been involved with a “play to play” controversy involving the award of a $1 Billion-dollar, 25-year, Albuquerque Downs Racetrack contract, dubbed by politicos as “the Dirty Downs deal”.

https://www.abqjournal.com/335335/buster-screwed-us.html

https://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/democracy_for_new_mexico/darren-white/

WHITE THE RADIO TAKE SHOW HOST

For several years Darren White has hosted a radio talk show on KKOB and has become an outspoken critic of Mayor Tim Keller and the Albuquerque Police Department. White caters to a decidedly right wing, MAGA Republican audience. As a result White has been able to nourish a strong base of support increasing his name identification as he takes on divisive issues such as the unhoused and undocumented immigrants.

FINAL COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Immediately after the Albuquerque Journal story broke about Darren White’s claim for a Florida property tax exemption, well known political pundits, gossip columnists and city hall observers were quick to proclaim that the news story seriously “wounded” White’s candidacy and that it could slow his fundraising as potential donors hesitate over his candidacy. That would be very wishful and foolish thinking on their part. According to the June 9 finance report White had raised $40,867 and new finance reports will be filed on July 14. It is possible Darren White could self finance given his past ownership of the cannabis dispensary company PurLife.

The link to Darren White’s financial disclosure is here:

https://campaignfinance.cabq.gov/#/exploreDetails/L7j64Ew1a0rWwbrOJFbL4JP4048PFnxLXRUfdOLcQk01/2/null/2/2025

Before the Journal report, conventional wisdom was that White was the odds on favorite to get into run off with Tim Keller. He still is. If no candidate wins 50% of the vote at the November 4 election a month later a run-off election would be held between the top two vote-getters. White and Keller remain the odds on favorites to make it into a runoff.

Simply put, White’s reputation has been solidified for a number of years. Voters already know who he is and what he represents. White is appealing to the MAGA voting block as he runs for Mayor and as he assails Keller’s weaknesses on crime reduction, vilifies the homeless and vilifies undocumented people declaring Albuquerque “sanctuary city”.

In a real sense, White is following Donald Trump’s game plan of sowing hostility and mistrust to win an election. It just might work against a Mayor who has extremely low approval ratings of between 30% and 33% but still has a solid base of Democrat Progressives that will likely get him into a run off. White’s past controversial conduct is likely to be totally ignored as irrelevant by his base of radio talk show listeners and Republican MAGA supporters who after all ignored Trump’s character flaws and voted for the first convicted felon for President of the United States.

NEWS AND COMMENTARY

Category Archives: Opinions

State’s Mental Health Care Rankings Continue Worsen; State Will Spend Millions To Rebuild Mental Health Care System Destroyed In 2014 By Governor Susana Martinez; New Mexico’s “Behavioral Health Care Reforms” Will Take Time To Implement

See July 22 City Desk article “Uballez criticizes Keller’s ICE policy, calls for stronger immigrant protections” by Jesse Jones.

OTHER CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR ISSUE STATEMENTS

LOUIE SANCHEZ STATEMENT