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Latest New Mexico news, sports, business and entertainment at 5:20 p.m. MDT

  • AP-US-IMMIGRATION-NEW-MEXICO

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A U.S. judge has granted a motion to dismiss claims by New Mexico that immigration officials shirked their duties by quickly releasing thousands of mostly Central American migrants into communities after they crossed into the United States. New Mexico claimed in a 2019 lawsuit that the practice left communities to pick up the tab for housing and feeding the asylum-seekers until they moved on to find relatives or other hosts elsewhere in the U.S. The judge found that federal officials acted within their powers and discretion and that sovereign immunity protected the federal government from liability.

  • VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State officials say new Mexico's health care system has a limited statewide stock of about 44,000 snug-fitting N95 face masks that can protect medical workers from the coronavirus by filtering out small airborne particles.  Confirmed COVID-19 cases across New Mexico increased Thursday by 11% to 403, with seven deaths and about 30 people hospitalized. New Mexico has about 2.4 million exam gloves, 70,500 medical gowns and 234,000 surgical masks that offer less protection from virus infections than N95 masks. State officials provided the figures on protective equipment after The Associated Press requested details about the state's supplies.

  • VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNEMPLOYMENT-NEW MEXICO

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) — More than 28,000 New Mexico residents have applied for unemployment benefits _ over 50% more than the amount filed the previous week. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 28,182 people in the state applied for unemployment benefits last week compared to record setting 18,105 the week before. Filings for unemployment aid generally reflect the pace of layoffs. The numbers show the widespread economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus appears to be continuing to inflict damage to the nation's economy. The Labor Department said more than 6.6 million Americans applied for benefits last week _ doubling a record set just one week earlier.

  • AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-CONSTRUCTION-CAMPS

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Major construction projects are moving forward along both U.S. borders and raising fears that the influx of workers could spread the coronavirus. Along the northern border, a Canadian company says it will start work this month on a disputed oil pipeline that could bring thousands of workers to rural areas in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Along the southern border, workers travel every day from camps in New Mexico to build President Donald Trump's border wall. Residents, tribal leaders and state officials worry that the work could make problems worse in rural areas with little or no medical infrastructure capable of handling an outbreak.

  • JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER-CLOSURE

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A county youth detention center in northern New Mexico is scheduled to close after commissioners raised concerns about rising costs and a decrease in the detention population. The Santa Fe County Commission voted Tuesday to approve the closure and house juvenile inmates at the San Juan County facility near Farmington. The closure is expected to save the county about $1.7 million each year, which could offset expected losses in revenue in the coming months amid the pandemic. County officials say the juvenile detention center is now expected to house adult inmates who are being isolated or quarantined for COVID-19.

  • CHICANO STUDIES-ENROLLMENT JUMP

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The University of New Mexico's Chicana and Chicano Studies Department is seeing a jump in enrollment, defying overall student enrollment declines at the state's largest college. Numbers show one of the nation's first Chicano Studies programs saw a 636% spike in students since 2011 as other areas at the university experienced declines. While colleges across the U.S. also report enrollment drops, similar Latino studies programs are reporting growth in enrollment. The department chair says universities are experiencing a rise in Latino students, and they are hungry for Latino studies classes. She says studies show those classes help with graduation rates among Latino students.

  • SHIRT HITS OFFICER

HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico man is facing charges after police say he was arrested for drunken driving and threw his clothes at an officer. The Hobbs News-Sun reports Alonso Martinez of Eunice was taken into custody following a traffic stop in Hobbs. According to police, an officer found an open container of Michelob Ultra in the car's center console. Police say Martinez was taken to Hobbs City Jail to detox when, during a clothing exchange, he threw his shirt in the face of the officer. Martinez was charged with battery upon a peace officer and aggravated DWI.

  • ELECTION 2020-NEW MEXICO

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A coalition of liberal groups has begun a campaign to target critical moderate New Mexico Senate Democrats who have blocked some liberal proposals. The coalition calling itself the No Corporate Democrats community coalition said Monday it will work to unseat five Senate Democrats they say oppose more spending on early childhood education. The senators have stopped proposals aimed at dipping into the state's largest permanent fund to pay for the expansion of early childhood programs. The five Democrats also voted against an unsuccessful abortion rights measure in 2019. The bill would have repealed a 1969 anti-abortion law.