Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is preparing to call a special legislative session in late August or early September, and one of the top items on her agenda could cost New Mexico thousands of high-paying jobs. According to her top legal adviser, Holly Agajanian, the governor intends to revive legislation aimed at prohibiting counties from contracting with federal agencies to operate private immigration detention facilities — a move that would effectively shutter three major centers in Torrance, Cibola, and Otero counties.
These privately operated facilities currently employ thousands of New Mexicans in rural communities where good-paying jobs are already scarce. Their closure would be an economic gut punch to working families and a blow to county budgets that rely on intergovernmental service agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Despite the high stakes, the governor appears determined to prioritize this political fight over more urgent bipartisan concerns, such as rising crime and needed reforms to New Mexico’s juvenile justice system.
“This is not necessarily an exhaustive list for a special session call, but it reflects the governor’s current concerns,” said Lujan Grisham spokesman Michael Coleman.
Legislation to ban local governments from partnering with ICE for civil detention previously passed the House 35-25 but died in a Senate committee. The bill would effectively outlaw the agreements that currently allow ICE to use New Mexico facilities to detain individuals for civil immigration violations.
Critics have blasted the move as a dangerous example of putting politics before people. Sen. Crystal Brantley, R-Elephant Butte, said, “Our president has taken illegal immigration to the lowest numbers ever, but here we are finding a way to use taxpayer dollars to pick a fight with the administration for cheap political points. Meanwhile, we’re leaving serious bipartisan juvenile justice reform efforts out in the cold.”
“I’m deeply upset yet not surprised that this is shaping up to be another special session of hot air,” Brantley added.
Even Democrats voiced skepticism. Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, warned that the legislation may be more symbolic than effective. “If we shut down the New Mexico beds, they’re just going to send them somewhere else,” he said, noting that federal detainees would simply be transferred to facilities in other states.
Still, some progressives continue to push the agenda. Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, D-Albuquerque, who has repeatedly tried to enter the facilities unannounced and been denied, said, “I think the government should not be complicit with detaining people in this way.” She claimed the facilities are not subject to proper state oversight due to their federal contracts. The vice-chair of the committee, Christine Chandler, even compared these facilities to terrorism.
The governor also intends to use the special session to address health care and food assistance programs, citing concerns over federal budget changes that could impact over 90,000 New Mexicans’ health coverage and reduce support for approximately 460,000 SNAP recipients, despite cuts (which include for people who refuse to work and criminal aliens), goes into effect at earliest next year on a phased-in basis. Yet critics argue that the session is once again shaping up to reflect the governor’s political agenda, not the state’s most pressing needs.
This would mark Lujan Grisham’s seventh special session since taking office in 2019. Her last attempt to push a crime package in a special session ended in failure, with lawmakers adjourning after just five hours and rejecting most of her proposals. She later scolded the Legislature for what she called an “embarrassing” performance.
With her latest proposal, the governor risks repeating that history—this time at the cost of New Mexico jobs and public safety.
More proof that TDS is real. These Democrats will ruin their state just to make sure they do not apply to federal law.
Seems she is hoping to never. hold a political position again. She knows the country is swinging away from her way of thinking. Even here in New Mexico, but she keeps being a butt head.
She feels the heat and sees the end of Democratic control of New Mexico. Vote Red my friends.
the democrats will control NM for all of time. because the voters are that stupid. we have had chances to change course for the past 10 years and always went democrat. its hopeless here. HOPELESS. if you want better, you must leave this state. sorry , just the truth.
Not sure the State can Legally tell a City or County who they can create contracts with so this should be a fun fight!!! She’s a Lame excuse for a leader of any kind.
She thinks that the last session that ended in 5 hours was an embarrassment, well Ms ugly and ungodly MLG, you are the embarrassment here in NM and all your communist ideological motives.
She still needs to be impeached and denied any retirement payments from NM. She and her comrades need to go and only it will happen if people wake up, take off their blinders and see just how detrimental she and her cronies have been to our state.
I won’t hold my breath…
I’ve seen where the Democratic have eaten their own… Mimi Stewart is one them. MLG is next
nothing will happen to Mimi. maybe a piece of paper in her file. then back to the same old. they protect their own and destroy the innocent if they dont like them
Time to walk it back..undo this Madness
So MLG thinks that she (& NM) should attempt to control with whom US Federal agencies can enter into contracts with?
Should be “Hammer Down” time right now by Tom Homan and Kristi Noem.
this doesnt help us one bit !! the legislators need to walk out of the special session. we are tired of being given phony narratives that we are supposed to agree to . why did you elect MLG NM ? you saw how she handled covid. the voters are FAILURES. all she cares about is her govt employees and unions that funnel her party money. its a disgrace
Thank God she’s a lame duck! What a pathetic little lawn gnome she is! Anything she can do to keep her illegal criminals, fentanyl pushers, and illegal government service leeches here! If New Mexico votes in another DemonRat governor, I’m retiring and moving out of state and they can kiss my six for my hard earned tax dollars. They are already pushing out Doctors with the malpractice crap. They said 200 doctors left last year. Eventually all good paying jobs available will be city, county, state, and federal jobs. No way the economy will survive. MLG is so bad, she called the National Gusrd to patrol Central, but really, not much they can do.
so she is calling a special session to help illegals . not new mexicans. you cant make this stuff up its so sick
I wish her luck, I would guess if approved it will cause the loss of federal funding across the entire state. The cut to Medicaid and snap is to the illegals. Some snap cuts are to get folks to work 20 hours a week. I do not see an issue. Maybe if the governor pushes enough folks in NM will realize they are conservatives and have voted for the wrong party for too long.
I agree with you Ronnie…she’s helping the illegals, but supports opening abortion clinics to silence the unborn.
Jason V… just read that Mimi was not reprimanded….two democrats, two republicans and a judge were the panel that presided over this hearing….the republicans voted for a stiff penalty and consequences for her actions, the democrats said no penalty and the democratic judge sided with his party…3-2 decision….Mimi is free to throw another temper tantrum like Gabe and Melanie.
Of course she will do anything to assist the illegal aliens, they are the dem voters, without them would NM really be blue?? 🤨
The biggest issue I see is the cheating voting system currently installed and if that is not dismantled the cheating will continue. I do not believe she won nor Ben Lujan or the mayors of Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The state may not really blue. Northern NM seems to be the only BLUE pocket and more and more are coming to terms that their voting practices of the past must change.