Local leaders in Albuquerque are refusing to enforce New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s gun ban.
This comes after Lujan Grisham on Friday issued an order that bans individuals from carrying guns in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County for at least 30 days. The Democratic governor said that she issued the emergency health order in response to the recent shootings across the country.
“Today, I signed an executive order declaring gun violence a public health emergency. To my fellow citizens: get loud. Step up. Demand change: from your neighbors, from your friends, from your communities, from your elected leaders. Enough is enough,” she wrote on the social media platform X.
The order was met with pushback from local officials from Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, who said that they would not enforce it.
“As an officer of the court, I cannot and will not enforce something that is clearly unconstitutional. This office will continue to focus on criminals of any age that use guns in the commission of a crime,” Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman said in a joint statement with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Police Chief Harold Medina.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen also expressed his quesiness over prohibiting citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights.
“I am wary of placing my deputies in positions that could lead to civil liability conflicts as well as the potential risks posed by prohibiting law-abiding citizens from their constitutional right to self-defense,” Allen said.
The first lawsuit aiming to block the order was filed recently by the National Association for Gun Rights and Foster Haines, a member who lives in Albuquerque in the U.S. District Court.
Two New Mexico lawmakers have called for the impeachment of commie gun-grabber Michelle Lujan Grisham:
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) September 10, 2023
"Our governor called for open season on law-abiding citizens by subverting the state and federal Constitutions. That needs to be remedied immediately." pic.twitter.com/UC271PZdtQ- Advertisement -
“She needs to be held accountable for stripping the God-given rights of millions away with the stroke of a pen,” said Dudley Brown, founder and president of the group.
Discussions on gun control legislation have been a hot-button issue recently after a series of mass shootings in the U.S. Since then, President Joe Biden has reiterated his rhetoric against the Second Amendment.
During a speech earlier this year, the president stated unequivocally, “We’re going to ban assault weapons,” adding, “We banned it once, we’re going to do it again, and the number of bullets that can be in a clip.”
