On the front lines in NM, many express hope

Javier Martínez, the speaker of the N.M. House of Representatives, said he’s “hopeful and very fired up” as he and so many others work to defend our democracy from an attempted authoritarian takeover.

Pam Hett, the group leader of Indivisible Las Cruces, is feeling “a deep sense of pride and optimism that once we get through all this cruelty and ugliness, we will be able to say that the Star-Spangled Banner still waves.”

I asked a handful of people who are on the front lines in the fight to save our democracy — elected officials, activists and organizers — to share their thoughts several months into the second Trump presidency. I wanted to know how they are feeling and whether they believe we can save our democracy.

The tension between hope and despair was apparent in some of their answers. Perhaps that’s not surprising. The last few months have jerked us around as the Trump Administration has worked tenaciously to dismantle society’s structures and safety nets so quickly that we can’t possibly counter every move they make.

On the question of whether we can save our democracy, the answer from many was a resounding yes. “But it is going to take all of us,” Hett said.

Community is essential. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said he knew residents had the city’s back when it funded a team to help reunite immigrant families that had been separated during the first Trump Administration.

“The reason I mention I’m grateful to live here, in this state, above all, is because I know the majority of New Mexicans stand with us and stand against mass deportations and what ICE is doing,” Keller said.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez urged people to find the issues they care about and raise their voices.

“Elected officials at all levels in New Mexico are listening,” he said. “I know I am.”

Keller expressed similar sentiment. “I’m confident the state, from the governor to the Legislature, has our back if there are massive cuts to medical, law enforcement, housing and behavioral health funding,” he said.

There wasn’t always agreement among the statements I received from folks. While Vasquez said we still live in a country “that can provide anyone the opportunity to succeed and pursue their dreams,” Sylvia Ulloa, the executive director of NM Comunidades en Acción y de Fé (CAFé), said she “is just so afraid” that too many people and elected officials will wake up too late to the reality that authoritarianism is already here.

“The only thing that is giving me hope right now is that there are some people, here in New Mexico and across the country, who are out on the streets protesting this regime, and groups working to educate and protect our immigrant neighbors’ rights,” Ulloa said.

People are fighting back, and they’re winning battles against the Trump Administration every week, said Sarah Boses, a member of the Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education. She mentioned the unfreezing of federal funding for education as an example.

“That gives me hope,” said Boses, who is also running for a state House seat next year. “The power of the people is greater than the people in power.”

Vasquez, who helped push for restoring education funding, said, “I still have hope, believe in bipartisanship, and will give everything I’ve got to protect democracy and the Constitution.”

Cassie McClure, a Las Cruces city councilor, said she believes we still have the ability to change things. It can seem at times like the only option is to burn the house down and rebuild. But then, McClure said, she recalls a line from a poem about voting: “And then I remember: there are children inside.”

“I refuse to succumb to despair because of the generations behind us,” McClure said. “They aren’t making these dreadful choices entrenched in hatred, but they will spend their whole lives living with, and perhaps trying to dismantle, them.”

Boses said she also cannot give up.

“I have four kids, a community, and a democracy that I care about immensely,” she said. “To lose hope would be to give up on them, and I can’t do that.”

Ulloa said when we win the fight against authoritarianism, we must also ensure that the “status quo that led us to this place — one in which working people keep falling behind — is smashed and rebuilt into a society that works for everyone, and not just the millionaire and billionaire class.”

Martínez, whose parents immigrated from Mexico seeking a better future for their children, sent me fighting words. He said he’s not about to let his parents’ sacrifices go to waste.

“So I say to Trump and his fascist lap-dogs, bring it,” Martínez said.

These leaders took significant time to respond to my request, and I’m publishing their responses here in full. I’ve only made a few minor edits, mostly to punctuation and capitalization. I hope you’ll find their words as meaningful as I do.

Javier Martínez

Speaker of the N.M. House of Representatives, D-Albuquerque

I’m feeling hopeful and very fired up. 

Nothing in this country has come easy for our people. The abolishment of slavery. The civil rights movement that ended (formally) Jim Crow. Women’s suffrage. The right of indigenous Americans to self determination. The environmental movement. Worker rights. Immigrant rights, from the 1986 amnesty to Obama’s EO that created DACA. All of it took decades upon decades of work, with some successes and lots of setbacks along the way.

We cannot and should not sit here, clutch our progressive (and expensive) pearls/feelings and be defeatists. That’s not how I was raised. 

When my parents left Mexico in 1989, they did so in large part because there wasn’t a future for us there. We weren’t part of the ruling class (politically or economically). We weren’t well connected. But we had two things going for us. 1) We lived on the border (Cd. Juárez) so we had a built-in advantage, if you will, and 2) We had grit and determination. Mexico at the time (and perhaps still) was horribly inequitable, with a rigged and corrupt political system… corruption that permeated throughout every aspect of society. 

Now as an adult, with a formal education, tons of street smarts, and having achieved a great degree of political power, I’m not about to let my parents’ sacrifices go to waste. 

So I say to Trump and his fascist lap-dogs, bring it. 

Pam Hett

Indivisible Las Cruces group leader

I was up in Chicago recently at a Cubs game and stood for the National Anthem — and really stared at the flag with such a deep sense of pride and optimism that once we get through all this cruelty and ugliness, we will be able to say that the Star-Spangled Banner still waves. 

“Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave.”- The Star-Spangled Banner. 

Yes, I feel we can save this democracy, but it is going to take all of us. Indivisible National created a program called One Million Rising. Indivisible Las Cruces is participating in it. 

The goal is to educate one million people on how to engage in nonviolent, non-cooperation against the Trump regime alongside community organizing.

An authoritarian regime needs to be upheld by different pillars of society. Those pillars can be business, labor unions, faith community, non-profits/media/community groups, educational institutions, government entities and military/police. What we’re trying to do through Indivisible is teach people how to do nonviolent, non-cooperation action against each of those pillars every day in multiple ways. Get these pillars to crumble and turn away from supporting Trump. 

For example: Greyhound Bus Company has signs on its buses, ICE is not allowed on without a warrant. So we need to write letters of support to Greyhound for them standing up to Trump and ICE.

Another example is boycotting businesses that have deleted their DEI Policies and shopping at businesses that have kept their DEI policies in place. Electing government officials who are willing to stand up to Trump and let them know that we appreciate them and have their back. For those who support Trump, primary them. Economic boycotts, letters to the editor supporting those institutions who stand up to Trump and calling out those institutions that capitulate and let them know that “WE THE PEOPLE” are unhappy and not afraid to speak out through our economic power and protest power. 

I feel that once the full impact of the Big Beautiful Bill is felt by everyday New Mexicans, those who supported Trump are going to have a very rude awakening economically. As James Carville said, “It’s the economy stupid.”

I feel people are going to get very angry and really put the pressure on their congresspeople for change. The midterms will be very important in saving democracy. MAGA is cracking. Republicans can’t hide from their constituents much longer once the economy really feels the tariffs and all the cuts. 

My words for those working on the front lines: Keep the faith. This is a very dark time in U.S. history, but we are a very resilient people and we must keep fighting. It’s the little things that we do every day that will help to topple the pillars that support an authoritarian regime.

Show up. Talk to your neighbor. If they voted for Trump and they now see the error in their way, don’t berate them. Invite them to a protest or tell them to contact their representatives and vote to have the Medicaid money reinstated.

Tim Keller

Albuquerque mayor

I understand the genuine anxiety, and in some cases terror, many people are experiencing right now. At least several times a week I am approached at the grocery store, getting gas and at my kids’ events about what’s happening in D.C. I experience these uncertain times through the lens of a major-city mayor who represents people who are feeling the real impacts from President Trump’s illogical decisions and hateful political agenda.

I also remember what happened seven years ago under Trump 1. Then as now, I believe my responsibility is to stand up and protect Albuquerque. I’ve seen this show before, and this time it is worse, more organized, more dangerous.

Back then, President Trump was separating children from parents at the border. I joined mayors from all of the country, including the Las Cruces and Santa Fe mayors, to see first-hand and to protest against what was not just wrong, it was inhumane, it was literally tearing children from arms of their mothers in internment camps.

I came home and decided we would be an immigrant-friendly city by executive order, created a team to reunite families separated in Albuquerque, and publicly funded it with taxpayer money. Then we got together with City Council and did that by law. The response from Trump was to send Attorney General Barr to the Duke City, threaten to put me in jail, threaten to take away our funding and to take over our police department. Sound familiar?

I share this story because now that we are seeing this in a more systematic and terrifying way in all of our communities, I find hope in two things: First is that there is no place I would rather be during tough times than New Mexico. Second, we have a seasoned team that is as ready as we can be to resist, to push back, and defend all families in our city.

The reason I mention I’m grateful to live here, in this state, above all, is because I know the majority of New Mexicans stand with us and stand against mass deportations and what ICE is doing. I know this because last time around, Albuquerque was actually supportive of what we did with respect to becoming an immigrant-friendly city — from talk radio, to City Council meetings, to the mayor’s hotline. Of course there were haters, but they were in a clear minority. It was our community that emboldened us, that gave us the courage to fight back.

That is incredibly powerful. That is something most cities and most mayors don’t have. Furthermore, then and now, our police department and our chief agree that local law enforcement should not be engaged in immigration actions and doing ICE work. That is also something few cities have unity around. 

So when just a few months ago I signed a new executive order to do what we can to catch fake ICE agents, and stop use of masks and increase transparency and rights, we saw how this alignment of values in Albuquerque still holds. While there was ample consternation, the vast majority of residents appreciated the strong, clear stance for all our families. This makes me so grateful to be from here, raising my family here, and why I would rather be here than anywhere else in America. 

The other big reason I have hope is because our elected officials also feel the same. We disagree on a lot, have our own various issues, but in general, I’m confident the state, from the governor to the Legislature, has our back if there are massive cuts to medical, law enforcement, housing and behavioral health funding.

In fact, the state already created several funds, and has already discussed a possible special session to protect vulnerable New Mexicans from cuts. How many other states can say that? I don’t think many.

That is why my goal is to unite people and make them want to come together to strengthen our democracy. At least in New Mexico we have fighting chance to do that every day!

Gabe Vasquez

U.S. representative, D-N.M.

With the constant fear and negativity in today’s news and on social media, it can be very easy to feel overwhelmed or disempowered. Despite a growing partisan divide, I still have hope, believe in bipartisanship, and will give everything I’ve got to protect democracy and the Constitution.

It’s important to remember that we live in a country that can provide anyone the opportunity to succeed and pursue their dreams. You have power, and making your voice heard is how you enact the change you wish to see. Whether it’s by voting or contacting your elected official or peacefully protesting, you can make a difference.

That’s why it’s so important for folks to stay engaged and informed and speak their minds. Find issues you care about — for me, it’s protecting our public lands, reforming our immigration system, and making life more affordable — and raise your voice.

Elected officials at all levels in New Mexico are listening. I know I am.

Sylvia Ulloa

Executive director of N.M. Comunidades en Acción y de Fé (CAFé)

There is a five-alarm fire happening in our country and I’m just so afraid that many Americans and our elected leaders are going to wake up to this reality too late.

Authoritarianism isn’t “coming.” It’s already here: From the use of military on American soil in Los Angeles and D.C., to rigging the election system to ensure that one party is guaranteed to win, to the construction of concentration camps right on our border on Fort Bliss.

Yes, I said concentration camps. We need to call things what they are. When we round up people and put them in camps without due process and access to humane conditions and legal services, we are recreating the concentration camps on U.S. soil that once held Americans of Japanese origin.

The only thing that is giving me hope right now is that there are some people, here in New Mexico and across the country, who are out on the streets protesting this regime, and groups working to educate and protect our immigrant neighbors’ rights.

It has become clear that we need to fight authoritarianism now, and when that fight is won, to ensure that the status quo that led us to this place — one in which working people keep falling behind — is smashed and rebuilt into a society that works for everyone, and not just the millionaire and billionaire class.

Sarah Boses

Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education member
House District 50 candidate, D-Galisteo

“To be truly radical is to make hope possible rather than despair convincing.” – Raymond Williams

I came across this quote in my Facebook memories today and it explained the answer to the question “How am I feeling these days?” in regard to the federal administration. I wouldn’t ever say I’m an eternal optimist, but I always hold onto hope. I follow the news at a healthy/tolerable level and I see how awful things are and how much worse they could get.

Hope is what gets me out of bed every day, though. I have four kids, a community, and a democracy that I care about immensely. To lose hope would be to give up on them, and I can’t do that. 

In a practical sense, I actually am mildly encouraged by the trajectory of things at the national level. I know it sounds odd to say that because it’s all so awful. I feel like when I zoom out, I can see a bit of a pattern starting to take shape: Each week we get something like “awful thing” (announcement/executive order/illegal action) and then the undoing of some awful thing(s) from previous weeks.

A good example, and one I followed particularly closely as a school board member, was the freezing of $7 billion of federal funds for certain school programs just a few weeks before school was going to resume. This led to panic and uncertainty for families who learned that afterschool programs could be impacted and might leave them without needed childcare.

A small amount of those funds were unfrozen pretty quickly and the rest were unfrozen a few weeks later. The emotional impact of this reckless and haphazard decision-making is real. We are rightfully distraught and our nervous systems are wrecked. I don’t think that’s an accident. 

It’s exhausting to have to fight for every bit of funding that has been allocated through the appropriate congressional processes — and yet, it’s what’s necessary right now. If we give in to our exhaustion and stop fighting back, they win. Right now, we are winning a lot of those fights. That gives me hope. The power of the people is greater than the people in power. 

There are other areas such as tariffs and Medicaid cuts that are wildly unpopular among people of all political persuasions. Detaining and deporting lawful immigrants is another example. These are misguided and miscalculated policies that are eroding the base that voted for this administration.

It seems like he can’t help but get in his own way pretty regularly, and I think his popularity is falling. It gives me hope to hear people say they were wrong to support him and didn’t think it would be this way and this isn’t what they voted for. 

Can we save this democracy? We absolutely can. The question is whether the people in the position to do so will have the moral courage to make the right choices, despite potential threats or political backlash. I think that’s what I wish I saw from leaders more right now, at every level: courage to do the right thing, for the working people, the most vulnerable, the people whose voices aren’t the loudest, for the future and safety of our country.

Leaders need to do the right thing, and the rest of us need to support them in doing so. This moment calls on all of us to be very clear on our values, the values we hold for our country, and the moral clarity and courage to do the right thing, even (and especially) when it’s hard.

Cassie McClure

Las Cruces city councilor

There’s a poem I think about when I feel the despair that seems to be a part of these times. It talks about a house where the only option seems to be burn it down and rebuild, but the last line is, “And then I remember: there are children inside.”

I refuse to succumb to despair because of the generations behind us. They aren’t making these dreadful choices entrenched in hatred, but they will spend their whole lives living with, and perhaps trying to dismantle, them.

My daughter ran for middle school student council and gave her speech on Friday. Last year, she didn’t get to the interview stage, but this year, she’s giving a speech as a candidate. She may not win, but she tried. And while people may not believe that I didn’t actually encourage her to try for council, given where I am, there may be a bit of truth that she’s willing to try because I do.

My goal has always been to grab my kids by the scruff and throw them further than where I can go, but I know that I have to work to ensure a landing where my little dragonslayer, and all the rest who ran for office at her school and schools all over the country, are still able to make the change they still believe in their hearts can be made. I still believe that too, even now.