How the president's national emergency declaration might impact New Mexico
'How our governor, and our state legislator, and our people react to this issue, could be foreshadowing the next 20 years of American politics'
'How our governor, and our state legislator, and our people react to this issue, could be foreshadowing the next 20 years of American politics'
'How our governor, and our state legislator, and our people react to this issue, could be foreshadowing the next 20 years of American politics'
President Donald Trump has officially declared a national emergency at the southern border, using a mix of that declaration and executive action that he says will allow him to access roughly $8 billion to build a wall along the U.S.- Mexico border.
"We've never really seen a fight over this, now we're really seeing a fight," said Mike Rocca, UNM political science professor. "This is such an ongoing, new thing that I don't know what it's going to mean. Whether President Trump will now be able to build the wall at our border, what I do know and I fully expect is a fight."
Some New Mexicans believe this declaration is an abuse of power that undermines our democracy.
"There is no national emergency, this is something he fabricated himself just to be able to go around Congress, and fund his wall and racist and xenophobic agenda," said Flaviano Graciano, with the New Mexico Dream Team.
Steve Pearce, the chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, says he believes the president's call for a national emergency is justified saying he tried working with Congress.
"He has the constitutional right to declare the emergency in order to protect the people and I would agree that he does," said Pearce.
Trump's declaration will likely be challenged in court, but how the Land of Enchantment responds will leave its mark.
"How our governor, and our state legislature, and our people react to this issue, could be foreshadowing the next 20 years of American politics," Rocco said.
It's unclear how quickly a wall can start being built at the U.S.-Mexico border, but depending on if the courts intervene, it could take a while.