Searchlight New Mexico is an award-winning nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to investigative and public service journalism in the interest of the people of New Mexico. Follow our latest reports at searchlightnm.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mvfw2e2fz72kAs nursing facilities in the state rack up unfavorable ratings, an elderly population that relies on their services are falling victim to low quality conditions, resulting in poorer health and even death. Where is the oversight? Read more: https://searchlightnm.org/staff-shortages-cited-as-biggest-factor-in-new-mexico-nursing-homes-falling-short/13 Sep 2026 15:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvfw2e2fz72khttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mvdjvfcywk2hA program that offers tuition assistance to all New Mexico residents regardless of citizenship status is being challenged in federal court. The stakes are especially high for students in Chaparral, the largest unincorporated community in New Mexico, located mere miles from the U.S. Mexico border. https://searchlightnm.org/undocumented-students-share-concerns-over-federal-lawsuit-to-end-in-state-tuition/12 Sep 2026 16:47 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvdjvfcywk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mvawssszr72kCYFD took a 15-year-old boy, who is a U.S. citizen, to the border to be reunited with his estranged mother in Mexico. The state agency doubled down on that decision in a recent court response, writing the boy's return would be “absurd and impossible.” https://searchlightnm.org/ordering-cyfd-to-bring-15-year-old-back-from-mexico-absurd-and-impossible-lawyers-say/11 Sep 2026 16:01 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvawssszr72khttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mv77hp65eu2nResidents in Grant County only learned of a secretive company’s plans to build a data center by reading a small legal notice in the local paper. Since then, residents’ protests have caught the attention of state and local officials. https://searchlightnm.org/grant-county-residents-raise-alarm-over-secretive-proposed-data-center/10 Sep 2026 23:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv77hp65eu2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mv6mzyd7zc2nSome New Mexico colleges are failing to provide data on crimes committed on campus — in spite of laws requiring them to make that data easily accessible to the public. https://searchlightnm.org/federal-law-requires-most-colleges-to-follow-crime-statistics-reporting-rules-in-new-mexico-compliance-varies/10 Sep 2026 18:00 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv6mzyd7zc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3muucqzvs2s27Sexual violence is a particularly difficult topic for reporters to cover, especially when it involves minors. Searchlight's Ed Williams shares why and how he took on that task in his latest investigation of a Hobbs teen who was raped at school and punished. https://searchlightnm.org/how-we-reported-on-sexual-assault-in-schools/06 Sep 2026 15:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3muucqzvs2s27https://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3murtxznhzo2zA 13-year-old girl's rape at school was one of more than 295 instances of rape or sexual assault reported to Hobbs police since 2022. Those rates, third-highest in the state, are likely the tip of the iceberg as the department struggles to investigate sex crimes. https://searchlightnm.org/hobbs-police-struggle-with-sex-crimes/05 Sep 2026 16:00 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3murtxznhzo2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3muq4nhldkm2uUnder Title IX, schools are supposed to protect students who report sexual assault and rape. But as Searchlight New Mexico recently uncovered, that oversight can be unevenly applied, often leaving it up to districts to have the final say instead of victims. https://searchlightnm.org/as-feds-scale-back-sex-assault-oversight-school-districts-have-final-say/04 Sep 2026 23:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3muq4nhldkm2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mufcp5wa6c25A 13-year-old student named Larissa told school administrators and police that she had been forcibly sexually assaulted at her middle school in Hobbs, NM. Police didn’t investigate the alleged assault, she and her mother say. Instead, Larissa was suspended. Story in collab with @19thnews.org31 Aug 2026 16:19 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufcp5wa6c25https://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mu363oezpm25Environmental groups are celebrating after the New Mexico Supreme Court put a pause on air and water permitting processes for Project Jupiter. The groups argued there was a lack of due process in the proceedings and favored the data center's interests. https://searchlightnm.org/new-mexico-supreme-court-pauses-project-jupiter-permitting-processes/27 Aug 2026 15:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu363oezpm25https://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mtzigufqwv24A new foster care case management system that’s been in development for nearly a decade and expected to help CYFD workers with caseloads, is still not finished. The project has cost the state $90 million dollars and could incur new costs as it fully comes online. https://searchlightnm.org/new-mexicos-new-foster-care-information-system-still-needs-more-money-time-to-roll-out-report-says/26 Aug 2026 23:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtzigufqwv24https://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mtmbypazzm25Clinics in New Mexico that are supported with federal dollars saw patient populations increase last year, showing a demand for affordable and accessible healthcare. But federal regulations have made it hard for providers to deliver services. https://searchlightnm.org/some-health-clinics-seeing-more-patients-as-they-plan-amid-shifting-federal-policies/21 Aug 2026 17:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmbypazzm25https://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mtkfneu4nj25CYFD will pay $1.4 million to settle a lawsuit that claimed two young siblings in Taos endured an abusive living situation for years under the agency's watch. An attorney said "there’s hope … no other children suffer similar similar outcomes." https://searchlightnm.org/cyfd-settles-lawsuit-alleging-foster-parents-starved-abused-children-for-1-4-million/20 Aug 2026 23:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtkfneu4nj25https://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mtjkt6wscr25The massive Project Jupiter data center has promised big economic benefits. Its annual report says almost 6,000 workers have been involved in construction — but doesn’t say where those workers are from. https://searchlightnm.org/new-project-jupiter-report-doesnt-say-if-company-hiring-dona-ana-county-first/20 Aug 2026 15:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjkt6wscr25https://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mtcuaplyjm2lSome 315,000 women in New Mexico have experienced sexual violence, physical violence or stalking, but no statewide mandate exists for law enforcement to track those incidents. One expert says that needs to change. https://searchlightnm.org/expert-calls-for-improvements-in-domestic-violence-data-tracking-to-curb-lethal-violence/17 Aug 2026 23:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtcuaplyjm2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mtccgs6qus2vDomestic violence shelters in New Mexico are scraping by amid an ongoing financial squeeze — even as the budget for the state agency that funds the shelters has ballooned. Read more: https://searchlightnm.org/new-mexico-domestic-violence-shelters-describe-true-cost-of-chronic-state-underfunding/17 Aug 2026 18:11 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtccgs6qus2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mt2jpxb5zv2lFilings show the pro-data center group, Elevate New Mexico, received $3.7 million from Project Jupiter’s developers. The group’s website still fails to disclose who is behind the elusive organization. https://searchlightnm.org/group-that-urged-new-mexicans-to-support-project-jupiter-discloses-finances-after-ethics-case/14 Aug 2026 16:00 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt2jpxb5zv2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3msyseykp3d2bThe New Mexico Environment Department has issued two conflicting orders on Project Jupiter's air quality permit in less than two weeks. One environmental attorney said the "absurd schedule" has caused a lot of confusion. https://searchlightnm.org/project-jupiter-hearing-officer-reverses-course-on-air-quality-permit-application/13 Aug 2026 23:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3msyseykp3d2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3msy4lz2zhg2sDemocratic lawmakers in the New Mexico House of Representatives feel they have been undermined in recent years in their efforts to reform CYFD. But during the 2027 legislative session, they say they plan to come back with a vengeance. https://searchlightnm.org/new-mexico-house-democrats-hope-to-majorly-overhaul-troubled-cyfd-next-year/13 Aug 2026 17:00 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3msy4lz2zhg2shttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mslgvwcqd52qData centers could be forced to fund their own power infrastructure if a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich becomes law. https://searchlightnm.org/heinrich-proposes-legislation-to-make-data-centers-pay-for-grid-infrastructure/08 Aug 2026 16:00 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mslgvwcqd52qhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3msiyqzqlbk2wYouTubers and for-profit data brokers are bombarding New Mexico’s public records custodians with records requests while Journalists’ requests are getting stuck in the logjam. An NMDOJ task force is considering ways to fix the state’s troubled Inspection of Public Records Act. https://searchlightnm.org/access-advocates-public-officials-face-off-at-santa-fe-public-records-meeting/07 Aug 2026 16:41 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3msiyqzqlbk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3msgodzp46r2tA teenage girl says she was sexually assaulted over and over again at a youth homeless shelter. A new lawsuit accuses CYFD and shelter staff of failing to protect her. https://searchlightnm.org/lawsuit-alleges-foster-teen-was-repeatedly-sexually-assaulted-in-albuquerque-facility/06 Aug 2026 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3msgodzp46r2thttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3msc66n2r3v22The leader of the new Office of the Child Advocate says CYFD has stonewalled her attempts to get records. Lawmakers are frustrated — and say they will try to give her subpoena powers. https://searchlightnm.org/amid-stonewalling-new-mexico-lawmakers-plan-to-give-more-authority-to-cyfd-watchdog/04 Aug 2026 23:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3msc66n2r3v22https://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mrsydobxkc2zAt Tuesday's Doña Ana County Commission meeting, supporters and opponents of Project Jupiter shared their views on the data center during public comment. A shortened commenting period led to some physical altercations and arrests before project officials could give their updates. https://searchlightnm.org/demonstrators-arrested-jobs-promised-at-rowdy-project-jupiter-meeting/29 Jul 2026 22:35 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrsydobxkc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mrqibak7322iLawmakers on the Legislative Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee, shared harsh criticisms about CYFD after being presented a report that found New Mexico has the worst child fatality rate of all Western states. Sen. Joseph Cervantes said the findings are "obscene." https://searchlightnm.org/this-is-obscene-lawmakers-express-frustrations-over-systemic-cyfd-issues/28 Jul 2026 22:42 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrqibak7322ihttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mrn5yhatve2fRepresentatives from New Mexico's pueblos are fighting back a proposal from the Trump administration that would remove a buffer zone around Chaco Canyon. They say removing the buffer will harm a site that has deep historical and cultural meaning in North America. https://searchlightnm.org/pueblo-leaders-federal-lawmakers-ramp-up-calls-to-keep-chaco-drilling-buffer/27 Jul 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrn5yhatve2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mrkqtwxvgt2wAs New Mexico gets ready to elect a new governor, officials at CYFD will have to pass the baton on their efforts to overhaul the state’s foster care system as mandated by the Kevin S. lawsuit. But they maintain progress is being made despite some shortcomings. https://searchlightnm.org/ahead-of-governor-change-cyfd-says-progress-made-on-obligations/26 Jul 2026 16:00 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrkqtwxvgt2whttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mriffoc5xb24CYFD is facing pushback after it took a 15-year-old foster boy, a U.S. citizen who has a heart issue, to the U.S.-Mexico border to be reunited with his mother. Advocates and lawmakers said the decision jeopardized his health and safety and they want accountability. https://searchlightnm.org/report-cyfd-dropped-teen-at-border-left-him-to-cross-alone/25 Jul 2026 17:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mriffoc5xb24https://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mrgj2lhjpn2dA new report on pregnancy-related deaths in New Mexico shows 74 New Mexicans died within a year of giving birth from 2018 to 2023 with 97% of those deaths being preventable. A lack of health support, especially in rural areas, was a contributing factor. https://searchlightnm.org/pregnancy-linked-deaths-down-in-new-mexico-but-still-higher-than-pre-pandemic-study-finds/24 Jul 2026 23:30 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrgj2lhjpn2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/searchlightnm.bsky.social/post/3mralnf5w6a2tThe state Early Childhood Education and Care Department wants to make it easier for childcare facilities to get up and running to fulfill its promise to provide free childcare to all New Mexico families. Two new initiatives could help achieve those goals. https://searchlightnm.org/new-mexico-implements-new-strategies-to-expand-free-childcare-system/22 Jul 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:mguvnnf5mf3knbokeeoclsos/app.bsky.feed.post/3mralnf5w6a2t