Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a new public health order Friday that bans carrying firearms in Albuquerque.
The order will remain in effect for 30 days, and it bans non-law enforcement personnel from carrying firearms, either openly or concealed, regardless of whether any individual gun owner has a permit to carry. The public health decree applies to Albuquerque, the state’s largest city, and Bernalillo County, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
The decree states that “no person, other than a law enforcement officer or licensed security officer, shall possess a firearm … either openly or concealed, within cities or counties averaging 1,000 or more violent crimes per 100,000 residents per year since 2021.” (RELATED: Democrat New Mexico Governor Begs For More FBI Agents — Again — Amid Crime Wave)
BREAKING: After Suspending The 2nd Amendment Rights Of Everyone In #Albuquerque, #NewMexico For The Next 30 Days. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham Says Her Oath To Uphold The Constitution IS NOT ABSOLUTE! pic.twitter.com/96o0DPUnLw
— John Basham (@JohnBasham) September 9, 2023
“There are literally too many people to arrest,” Grisham said in response to a reporter’s question during a press conference announcing the order. “If there’s an emergency, and I’ve declared an emergency for a temporary amount of time, I can invoke additional powers. No constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute.”
Numerous legal experts questioned the constitutionality of Grisham’s decision, with conservative legal pundit Johnathan Turley writing that “the order, in my view, is flagrantly unconstitutional under existing Second Amendment precedent.”
“This is completely unconstitutional. It’s also just logically nuts,” Amy Swearer, senior legal fellow for the Heritage Foundation, said of the order.
Albuquerque ranked as the tenth-most dangerous city in the U.S. in terms of overall violent crime in 2023, according to World Population Review. Grisham decided to impose the public health order after several recent shootings, including one which resulted in the death of an 11-year old child, according to a press release from her office.
Grisham’s administration issued the order through the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH). Approximately 46% of New Mexicans own firearms, according to statistics from World Population Review.
“As I said yesterday, the time for standard measures has passed,” Grisham said. “And when New Mexicans are afraid to be in crowds, to take their kids to school, to leave a baseball game – when their very right to exist is threatened by the prospect of violence at every turn – something is very wrong.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.