New Mexico governor suspends gun rights in Albuquerque

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an order Friday suspending the right to carry a gun in public for 30 days in Albuquerque and the surrounding county in response to rising violence.

The Democratic governor issued a public health emergency order Friday, which says only police officers and security guards can carry guns in public places.

The Associated Press reported Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, expects legal challenges to her executive order, which affects gun owners who carry a concealed weapon or who carry openly, fining them up to $5,000 if they violate the order.

Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina said he won’t enforce the executive order, and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said it raises questions about constitutional rights, the AP said.

Lujan Grisham said she felt she needed to act after an 11-year-old boy was killed outside a minor-league baseball stadium in Albuquerque this week, according to The New York Times.

The Times quoted a spokesperson for the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association as saying Lujan Grisham “does not have the right” to override the Constitution. The association is filing a lawsuit against the governor’s action, the article said.

Fox News reported two New Mexico Republican lawmakers have called for the governor’s impeachment over the order.

Republican state Reps. Stefani Lord and John Block said Lujan Grisham should be removed from office for her actions.

“I am calling on counsel to begin the impeachment process against Governor Grisham,” Lord told Fox News. “This is an abhorrent attempt at imposing a radical, progressive agenda on an unwilling populous. Rather than addressing crime at its core, Governor Grisham is restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”

Even some Democratic lawmakers are questioning Lujan Grisham’s decision.

Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Lujan Grisham’s decision was unconstitutional.

“I support gun safety laws,” he said. “However, this order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution. No state in the union can suspend the federal Constitution. There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.”