NM to sue Trump, again. This time over frozen K-12 funding.

SANTA FE — New Mexico joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, alongside more than 20 other Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, over nearly $7 billion in federal funding nationwide that the Trump administration had not released for various K-12 programs.

“The New Mexico Department of Justice is taking legal action to stop the Trump Administration from cutting nearly $7 billion in critical education funding for public school children,” Attorney General Raúl Torrez said in a statement last week. “New Mexico’s schools stand to lose more than $44 million in federal funding, and thousands of working families will no longer have access to essential after-school and summer programs to help finance Trump’s tax cuts for the rich.”

English language learner programs, immigrant student support systems and after-school programs are likely to face cuts.

Additionally, some full-time jobs at districts could be at risk, with Albuquerque Public Schools predicting 60 positions could be impacted and Santa Fe Public Schools predicting around seven of its staffers “may need to be reassigned or absorbed.”

The latest lawsuit marks the most recent New Mexico has joined against Trump. Others include lawsuits over health funding cuts, the halted distribution of pandemic relief funds and cuts to mental health programs in schools, to name some.

“The funding pause, impacting after-school services, teacher training, and English language support, threatens the foundation of student success in our communities. These programs are essential for families and the educators who serve them,” Janelle García, spokesperson for the Public Education Department, said in a statement Monday.

PED estimates that it could lose around $40 million in funding .

“This uncertainty places undue strain on school districts already working to recruit and retain qualified teachers and meet the needs of multilingual learners,” García said. “We will continue working with our state leaders and local partners to seek clarity, restore funding, and uphold the values that support students, educators, and families across our state.”