ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Local advocates are sharing their concerns following the court’s ruling over homeless camps in Albuquerque. 

Last week, a district court judge ruled to remove the temporary injunction against the city on how it handles the removal of homeless encampments. The ruling would loosen restrictions on what the city can and cannot do with them.

On Monday, the director of New Mexico’s ACLU released a statement, saying:

“The City of Albuquerque’s continued pursuit of criminalizing individuals for their circumstances does nothing to address the root causes of homelessness. 

Instead, the city should abandon punitive measures and focus on providing affordable housing solutions and other services and resources that address those root causes.”

This comes following a months-long legal battle that went all the way up to the New Mexico Supreme Court.

Both sides say the court may likely wait for a decision to be handed down from the U.S. Supreme Court on the Oregon homelessness case. They say that case overlaps with the issues in Albuquerque.