New Mexico State Legislative Memorial - In 1995, a group of immigrants and supporters in Santa Fe campaigned to pass a state legislative memorial condemning California’s passage of Proposition 187. Out of this campaign, Somos Un Pueblo Unido was born.
Anti-discrimination Resolution - Somos initiated a campaign in 1999 to pass a City Council resolution banning city employees from asking immigrants about their immigration status and leading to a permanent city committee on immigrant affairs. Santa Fe was the sixth city in the country to create such a policy, and Somos went on to assist community groups in passing a similar resolution in Albuquerque in 2000 and in Durango, Colorado in 2004.
No Immigrant Prison! - In 2000, Somos rallied the community to stop the opening of a for-profit segregated immigrant prison in Santa Fe. Since, Somos organizers have spoken widely to immigrant and social justice groups across the country about the ties between the booming private prison industry and immigration policy.
Licencias para Inmigrantes; Seguridad para Todos - In 2002, Somos spearheaded and coordinated a statewide legislative campaign to pass a law making undocumented immigrants eligible for drivers’ licenses in New Mexico. More than 80,000 immigrants have since benefited, and as a result, our state’s public safety has improved.
Greenlight New Mexico’s Future - In 2005, Somos organized another statewide effort to pass the most progressive higher education law for undocumented immigrant students in the country. New Mexico’s Senate Bill 582 allows students to access in-state tuition and state financial aid regardless of immigration status. More than 450 immigrant youth participated in this remarkable campaign.
Protecting New Mexico's Workers - As part of the Santa Fe Living Wage Network, Somos was instrumental in establishing one of the nation's highest citywide minimum wage. Somos then went on to head a campaign in 2009 to pass a state law protecting all workers from unscrupulous employers who steal wages. New Mexico went from being one of the states with the weakest anti-wage theft laws to being one of the strongest.
Bias-based Policing Ban - In 2009, Somos worked alongside the NAACP and the Drug Policy Alliance to make New Mexico the 23rd state to ban racial profiling and other forms of bias-based policing. The new law prohibits disparate treatment by law enforcement officials based on race, national origin, language, sexual orientation and political affiliation, among other factors.