New Mexico Advocates Urge Nuclear Victims to Apply for Compensation

With deadline looming, officials and volunteers help residents navigate the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act application process.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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With less than two years until the deadline for New Mexico victims of nuclear radiation to apply for Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) funds, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and advocates are encouraging people to take advantage of available resources. During a RECA forum in Las Cruces, medical experts joined Luján and members of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium to discuss the compensation that recently became available to New Mexicans impacted by the 1945 Trinity Test and the state's post-1971 uranium miners.

Why it matters

The RECA program provides one-time payments of $100,000 to eligible New Mexicans who developed one of 19 qualifying cancers due to radiation exposure. However, the program is set to sunset on December 31, 2027, so advocates are working to raise awareness and help residents navigate the application process before the deadline.

The details

The U.S. Congress passed a two-year extension to RECA in July 2025 and expanded it to compensate eligible New Mexicans. As of February 2026, 676 downwinder applications had been submitted across the country, with an additional 3,463 pending. The approval rate is 100%. Volunteers with the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium are providing free assistance to help residents apply for the funds, which can cover healthcare costs and recognize the damage caused by government nuclear testing and uranium mining.

  • The RECA program is set to expire on December 31, 2027.
  • As of February 18, 2026, 676 downwinder applications had been submitted across the country, with an additional 3,463 pending.

The players

Ben Ray Luján

U.S. Senator from New Mexico (D).

Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium

A group of advocates working to help New Mexicans impacted by the 1945 Trinity Test and uranium mining apply for RECA compensation.

Liz Marrufo

A retired educator and Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium volunteer who is helping others apply for RECA funds.

Jo Galván Nash

An audience member who questioned why uterine cancer is not included in the list of eligible cancers under RECA.

Mary Martinez White

A Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium volunteer who is advocating for more radiogenic cancers to be added to the RECA program.

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What they’re saying

“This legislation will never make someone fully whole again, but this legislation will help to pay some of those health care costs and recognize the damage that was done by the United States with causing this exposure.”

— Ben Ray Luján, U.S. Senator from New Mexico (D)

“We're in Las Cruces, we're local and we're willing to help anyone. We accept no fee. We just tell people, pay it forward, contact people you know who may have been affected by one of the cancers. The application is very simple. Don't let it intimidate you…We want you to be able to keep every cent that you are entitled to.”

— Liz Marrufo, Retired educator and Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium volunteer

“There are 40 radiogenic cancers. Nineteen have been covered in this legislation. We're happy that that is the case, that we have gotten these 19 covered, but again, our work is not done. We hope that the senator and many others will stay with us as we continue to try to get more people covered under this legislation.”

— Mary Martinez White, Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium volunteer

What’s next

Advocates are already looking ahead and working to expand the list of eligible cancers and the timeframe for exposure under the RECA program.

The takeaway

With the RECA program set to expire in less than two years, New Mexico officials and advocates are urgently working to raise awareness and help residents apply for the $100,000 compensation payments before the deadline. This effort highlights the ongoing impact of the government's nuclear testing and uranium mining on local communities, and the importance of providing support and recognition for those affected.