New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has made headlines by vowing to defy President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed mass deportation plans, which she described as “unlawful.” Speaking on the matter, Lujan Grisham argued, “I don’t know how they undertake it… They’re not going to do it because we have no federal authority here,” asserting that such actions would exceed federal limits federal authority.
Her claim conveniently ignores the clear legality of enforcing immigration laws and deporting individuals who are in the country illegally.
This stance is not surprising given the governor’s track record of selective adherence to laws and standards. Lujan Grisham’s disregard for established rules is nothing new. In 2023, she issued a temporary order banning the carrying of firearms in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, citing a spike in gun violence.
The order was widely condemned as unconstitutional by a Joe Biden-appointed judge, with her own Attorney General Raúl Torrez refusing to defend it, stating it violated the Second Amendment Second Amendment. Critics labeled the move a blatant abuse of power, and courts swiftly blocked the order.
Her defiance of federal immigration law also comes against the backdrop of troubling scandals. In 2021, Lujan Grisham paid a former staffer $150,000 to settle allegations of sexual harassment. The staffer accused the governor of unwanted physical advances, an incident that undermines her frequent public claims to champion accountability and integrity around sexual harassment.
Additionally, her administration has been criticized for mismanagement of federal COVID-19 relief funds. Reports revealed that her office also used taxpayer dollars to purchase luxury items, including expensive groceries and alcohol, during the pandemic—a decision viewed by many as tone-deaf while businesses and residents struggled to stay afloat COVID-19 relief funds, while bread lines formed around the blocks of grocery stores due to her strict pandemic orders.
While Lujan Grisham claims Trump’s deportation plans are unlawful, federal immigration laws explicitly authorize the deportation of individuals residing in the country illegally. Her rhetoric conflates the logistics of implementing such plans with their legality, ignoring that deportations are firmly within the federal government’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, her assertion that states have no role in federal enforcement is a misrepresentation of cooperative efforts between states and federal agencies, such as ICE.
Critics argue that Lujan Grisham’s willingness to disregard the law when it suits her political agenda raises serious questions about what’s left of her credibility as she enters the lame-duck phase of her second and final term as governor. Her administration’s repeated controversies—from unconstitutional gun bans to ethical lapses and mismanagement of public funds—highlight a pattern of prioritizing political theater over the rule of law.
As Trump’s administration prepares to enforce immigration laws, Lujan Grisham’s defiance underscores a broader issue of state officials cherry-picking which laws they choose to follow. Her selective adherence to legal and ethical standards invites scrutiny, especially when it involves laws designed to protect the nation’s sovereignty and the rights of its legal citizens.
Good luck defying Border Czar Tom Homan, MLG. There are at least 700,000 l illegal aliens who have felonies; that is a national security issue. Hindering their deportation is also a crime.
Well said!!! WHY would any leader refuse to deport criminals?
Biden, Harris, Mayorkas and any Governor or county or municipal authority not allowing enforcement of immigration law need to be prosecuted under 8 USC 1324 and 1327 and any other applicable law to include TREASON!!!
If that is possible, then that should be done! The evil MLG thinks she is above the law. She needs to be impeached… the swamp in the roundhouse needs to be drained!
The people happiest about Trump’s win are the Border Patrol. Now they can start doing their job—- protecting the border.
Wait till ICE advertises a Hot Line # to report suspicious activity. 😮
“ICE, ICE, baby”
Chill Michelle. ICE is coming.
MGL has no morals..She welcomes crime, killing babies, drugs…on and on..It’s what she wants not the people of NM..She is a evil person.. The best thing for NM Iis that she be removed from office…
I so agree. But yet the people voted her in for a 2nd term and keeps voting the “swamp things” in office.
Praying for Gods mercy on us all.
This is like everything else she does, a tyrannical rant because she’s not in charge. Like spending big money on the Breaking Bad campaign, but at the opposite end, doing and spending nothing to address filth on our streets and homelessness escapes her. She should be embarassed at what tourists and movie stars see in NM due to her neglect. Her agenda does not compute an Emergency Public Health Order to implement rehabilitative housing and programs for Back to Work, Mental Health and Substance abuse, i.e., Behavioral Health Collaborative, is nil.
Oh so now MLG wraps herself with the flag and insists on rule by law?
She wants to keep illegal alien criminals here to prey upon us citizens. And these illegals will cost us all dearly overloading our hospitals, schools, economy.
Someone should tell this b*tch that she SWORE to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the laws of America and the state of New Mexico. Apparently the only thing she can think about is the murder of the innocent in the womb. She needs to be removed and personally I will fight her every step of the way. DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS NOW.
She needs to be impeached!
MLG REFUSE TO LET THE REMOVABLE OF ILLEAGLS THE STATE WILL LOSE FEDREAL FUNDS SEE HOW FAST THE PEOPLE REMOVE HER FROM OFFICE AND MAKE HER PAY FOR MURDING BABIES SHE IS A WANNA BE HITLER