New Mexico reaction
Local leaders talk about Trump’s speech and its implications
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
“The only crisis on our southern border is the one manufactured by President Trump. His administration’s inhumane immigration policies have ripped families apart, and put the lives of children and refugees in danger with their intentional chaos, disregard for human life and utter incompetence. But the solution to President Trump’s self-created crisis is not a wall. Americans want and deserve smart border security policies to help us create a safer border and build a more prosperous nation.”
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall
“President Trump needs to end his shutdown now, before his reckless tantrum hurts more New Mexico families. New Mexicans didn’t hear anything new tonight from the president. Instead, they just heard more fear-mongering about immigrants, and dishonest and outof-touch talk about the border from a president who doesn’t know the first thing about border communities. The president certainly did not provide struggling New Mexicans with any good reason for why he continues to hold their livelihoods hostage to try and force taxpayers to pay for his offensive border wall. At the very least, the president could have apologized to the innocent people who have been caught up in his mess — but he didn’t do that, either.”
U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland
“The real national emergency right now is thousands of New Mexicans not being able to put food on the table or pay rent because of the government shutdown. New Mexicans need quality public education, good paying jobs and a renewable energy economy — the wall does nothing to address those issues. On day one, the House passed a bill to get federal workers back to work and paid, and now it’s time for the Senate and the President to do their part.”
U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján
“Tonight, the President chose to stoke fear instead of restore certainty for the hundreds of thousands of families who do not know when their next paycheck will come. To govern based on the president’s tantrums is a disservice to the American people. We must have a debate about border security and addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by this administration’s reckless immigration policies. But, first, I urge the president to work with Congress in a responsible way on one of the several options Democrats have put forward to open the government.”
U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small
“We heard nothing new from the President this evening. If we are to secure our borders, while keeping children and families, agents and our communities safe, we need to invest in methods that are proven to be effective: technology, personnel, training and medical equipment. Investments in these measures will help to create a border and immigration system that is strong, smart and fair. The border is my home, and I am committed to fighting for and implementing policies which will help to make it both vibrant and safe.”
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
“The president’s wall is an outdated, ineffectual idea that should never, ever come to fruition, and meaningful border security investments should be on the table. But his predilection for throwing a tantrum in place of actually negotiating a solution should surprise no one at this point. His federal shutdown is needlessly harming our Native American communities, our families and thousands of hardworking federal professionals in this state and beyond.”
The governor also announced she will visit the southern border on Friday.
New Mexico GOP
“Democrats voted for $25B in border security in early 2018. Now they won’t. That’s playing politics when they should be working with the president to secure the border. They should sit in good faith and negotiate.”