A large group of immigrants and their supporters marched on the New Mexico State Capitol on Monday for their annual Immigrant/worker day of Action.
Speaking mostly in Spanish, activists rallied to discuss legislative priorities for the session.
A few lawmakers addressed the crowd to show their support for several pieces of legislation and already have or are expected to be introduced.
Santa Fe Representative Linda Serrato says one she’s strongly supporting is the Economic Transition Act.
“ (It) would essentially create a fund for displaced workers,” she said. “In a lot of ways we are looking to do this during the Energy Transition Act but a lot of those funds haven’t actually reached the workers. Oftentimes they may be undocumented but are still paying into the system. So we want to make sure those workers whether they’re in Clovis or Roswell or Farmington wherever they may be, that they are receiving the access to these funds so they can move onto new careers.”
Other priorities being pushed by the immigrant coalition are more investment in child care and to expand early childhood education services, a minimum wage hike, an increase in the child tax credit and passage of the 2023 Voting Rights Act.