New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) released a statement after a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of her 30-day ban for concealed and open carry of firearms in Bernalillo County, saying she will continue to fight for the unconstitutional order.
"I refuse to be resigned to the status quo, and I will never stop fighting to prevent other families from enduring these tragedies. To be clear: gun violence and drug abuse are acute threats to public health and safety in this state," said Lujan Grisham.
Grisham went on to say her "public health" order helped spur the debate on what to do about crimes committed with firearms, even though most of the conversation was around how insane, from a constitutional standpoint, her order was and it was not going to withstand legal scrutiny.
"Who will stand up to protect families and children? I will. And I call on leaders across the state, from local law enforcement to the Legislature to mayors and county commissioners: Stand with me to enact solutions that save people's lives. Throwing up our hands is not an options," she added.
Today a judge temporarily blocked sections of our public health order but recognized the significant problem of gun violence in this state. I refuse to be resigned to the status quo, and I will never stop fighting to prevent other families from enduring these tragedies. pic.twitter.com/qRfSCUaNIL
— Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (@GovMLG) September 13, 2023
While the temporary restraining order prevents the enforcement of Lujan Grisham's ban, no judicial or law enforcement entity was enforcing the ban anyway when it was technically in effect since last Friday. The Albuquerque Police Department, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, the Attorney General of New Mexico all said they would not enforce or defend the order because it is unconstitutional.
