This week on New Mexico in Focus, Executive Producer Jeff Proctor sits down with Sophia Genovese, an attorney with the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center. Genovese tells us how advocates and lawmakers are already working on new ways to push back against a second Trump administration and a president-elect who campaigned on the promise of “mass deportations.”

KUNM’s Megan Kamerick speaks with Hopeworks director James Freeman about his experience living on the streets of Albuquerque. Freeman also shares his thoughts on a proposed plan to address homelessness in the state's largest city.

Our Land Senior Producer Laura Paskus explores the legalities of water rights along New Mexico’s many rivers, including the Rio Grande. She speaks with Paul Tashjian, director of freshwater conservation for Audubon Southwest, about the current system used to assign water rights, and the reality that the river itself has no rights to the water that maintains its ecosystem.  

For New Mexico Poet Laureate Lauren Camp, poetry is a way to “build empathy.” In conversation with Our Land Senior Producer Laura Paskus, Camp talks about her new book and a project that brings “epic poetry” to communities across the state. She also reads from her new book, “Worn Smooth Between Devourings” and talks about why poetry matters, especially during times of crisis. 

NMiF airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) on Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8 at 7 a.m. and streaming on the PBS video app.  

NMiF Segments

NM Immigrant Rights Under a New Trump Administration
Correspondent
Jeff Proctor

Guest
Sophia Genovese, Managing Attorney, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center

Living in Shelters and on the Streets of ABQ
Correspondent
Megan Kamerick

Guest
James Freeman, Director, HopeWorks

Without Rights, NM’s Rivers Can Come Up Empty  
Correspondent
Laura Paskus  

Guest
Paul Tashjian, Director of Freshwater Conservation, Audubon Southwest  

Poetry As a Way To ‘Build Empathy’
Correspondent
Laura Paskus

Guest
Lauren Camp, New Mexico Poet Laureate

Host
Jeff Proctor

New Mexico in Focus is the New Mexico PBS prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. NMiF takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic health, education, and art issues and explores them in-depth with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment."

NMPBS Executive Producer, Public Affairs, is Jeff Proctor. New Mexico in Focus's senior producer for public affairs is Lou DiVizio. “Our Land” Senior Producer is Laura Paskus. The producer of New Mexico in Focus is Antonio Sanchez, and co-producer is Kathy Wimmer.

Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided by the McCune Charitable Foundation and Viewers Like You.

Funding for the Your New Mexico Government Project comes from the Thornburg Foundation and New Mexico Local News Fund.

The Neeper Natural History Programming Fund for KNME-TV provides funding for Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present & Future.