LULAC will be allowed to participate in a trial next week to decide the boundaries of New Mexico's three congressional districts, a state district court judge ruled Wednesday.

Steve Schmidt who headed Republican John McCain’s campaign in 2008 says it was a “big mistake’’ for the majority of the Republican presidential field to boycott a Univision debate set for January.

The White House has scheduled a "Hispanic Community Action Summit" in Las Cruces as more Latinos are expressing anger over the number of deportations under Obama's presidency and the lack of progress on a comprehensive immigration plan.

The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, honors departed souls of loved ones who are welcomed back for a few intimate hours. In the last decade or so, this traditional Latin American holiday with indigenous roots has spread throughout the U.S. along with migration from Mexico and other countries where it is observed.

The Republican Party makes no secret of the fact it’s trying to capitalize on its rising political stars – New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and Florida Sen. Marc Rubio – who are popular political newcomers in presidential battleground states.

The notion that the nation's first Latina governor would have anything in common with Alaska's former governor, aside from party affiliation, would never even occur to most people. Yet, the two women do have some things in common. For example, both know how to promote their causes.

President Barack Obama’s effort to court Hispanics, a key electoral bloc, continued Wednesday as his press office announced a White House American Latino Heritage Forum, meant to “celebrate the past and ongoing contributions of American Latinos who have helped shape America’s rich and diverse history.”

The surging Hispanic population in several states that figure to be crucial to the outcome of next year's election is prompting an early scramble by both parties to influence Hispanic voters.

It's not easy being New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez. And the nation's first Latina governor, a potential 2012 Republican vice-presidential candidate, has not made her life any easier now that she is embroiled in abuelo gate.

The Latino vote could be decisive in key states in the 2012 elections and so conservative groups are seeking to attract Hispanics with the promise of representing their interests on issues such as education, unemployment and immigration.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez acknowledged last week that she is descended from illegal immigrants. But as governor, she's taken a strong stance against illegal immigration. In that way, she's testing the boundaries for a new kind of conservative.

Education for Latinos can be where Democrats and Republicans find common ground to strengthen that massive but under-schooled demographic with better academic facilities, classroom training and well-paying jobs, said a federal expert on Hispanic education during a stop at New Mexico State University on Monday.

Rapid Latino population growth and a smattering of newly created Latino House districts across the country are giving the group a chance to amplify its voice in Congress. But talk to Latino leaders, and you won’t hear a whole lot of optimism about 2012.

A state judge has blocked Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's administration from requiring some immigrants to recertify their driver's licenses and verify whether they continue to live in New Mexico.