In a striking turn of events, New Mexico’s far-left Public Lands Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard is now sounding the alarm over what she calls a federal “land grab”—involving just seven acres along the southern border.
The reaction is drawing criticism and raising eyebrows, given Garcia Richard’s past involvement in efforts to dramatically expand government influence over land use across the state.
According to reporting by Source New Mexico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is seeking to acquire a narrow strip of state trust land near Santa Teresa to expand border infrastructure. The parcel—originally granted to the state in 1898 to help fund public education—has been under discussion for potential purchase for years.
As Source New Mexico reported, federal officials determined the land was needed “to construct new border infrastructure along the United States/Mexico border, namely, steel bollard border barrier, the installation of detection technology, and roads.”
CBP offered approximately $800,000 for the property—an amount the U.S. Department of Justice indicated reflected fair market value. But after the State Land Office did not respond by a federal deadline, officials moved forward with plans to acquire the land through condemnation proceedings, Source New Mexico reported.
Garcia Richard responded forcefully, calling the move a “historic overreach” by the Trump administration.
“Doing business with these thugs was simply not an option,” she said, according to Source New Mexico. “Unsurprisingly, the President threw a temper tantrum when he couldn’t automatically get his way and is now going to forcibly take our state land and deny our school kids the revenue that comes from it.”
Her comments mark the latest escalation in an ongoing conflict between the State Land Office and federal authorities over border wall construction and enforcement activity.
But critics point to a deeper contradiction.
Garcia Richard previously participated—through her office—in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s “30 by 30” initiative, an ambitious conservation effort aimed at placing at least 30% of New Mexico’s land under conservation status by 2030.
According to a state presentation outlining the initiative, the executive order set a goal of conserving “at least 30 percent of all lands in New Mexico… with an additional 20 percent designated as climate stabilization areas.”
The same materials show that the State Land Office, under Garcia Richard’s leadership, had representation in the working group helping guide the effort, which was tasked with advising the governor and coordinating land-related policy across agencies.
That effort represents a far broader potential impact on land use than the mere seven-acre parcel now at the center of the dispute.
Meanwhile, Garcia Richard has framed the federal action as a threat to education funding, noting that state trust lands are intended to generate revenue for public schools.
Still, the federal government’s position is that the acquisition is necessary for national security infrastructure along the border—part of a broader effort to enhance enforcement and surveillance capabilities.
The dispute highlights a longstanding tension between state control of trust lands and federal authority over border security, particularly in New Mexico, where vast stretches of land intersect with international boundaries.
For now, CBP is expected to proceed with legal action to acquire the parcel, while the State Land Office reviews potential options to challenge the move.