New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared a state of emergency for Rio Arriba County, the city of Española, and several surrounding Pueblos. Her decision comes after a spike in violent crime, as well as drug trafficking, and what she believes to be threatst o public safety that local authorities can no longer handle.
The move comes after months of urgent calls from local and tribal leaders, who say the crisis has escalated beyond what their agencies can handle alone. Police calls in Española and nearby communities have more than doubled over the past two years. Businesses are now four times more likely to require police response than they were in 2022. Meanwhile, Rio Arriba County continues to lead the state in overdose deaths — much of it driven by fentanyl and other illicit drugs.
“When our local leaders called for help to protect their communities, we responded immediately with decisive action,” Lujan Grisham said. “We are making every resource available to support our local partners on the ground and restore public safety and stability to these areas that have been hardest hit by this crisis.”
Under Executive Order 2025-358, the governor has authorized up to $750,000 in emergency funding to the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to coordinate the state’s response. While there are currently no plans to deploy the National Guard, the declaration allows for that step if conditions worsen.
The funds will support overtime pay for officers, purchase needed equipment, and boost coordinated law enforcement efforts across jurisdictions. State officials say the help can’t come soon enough. The surge in crime has fueled more homelessness, broken apart families, and left a growing number of fatal overdoses in its wake.
Santa Clara Pueblo Gov. James Naranjo, in a letter to the governor last month, described how his community has spent thousands trying to shield children from the fallout of addiction, only to watch the crisis spread beyond Pueblo boundaries.
The situation in Rio Arriba County is similar to other issues found across New Mexico. In April, Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in Albuquerque after a rise in crime. This move allowed the National Guard to come in for assistance. In 2023, she temporarily suspended the right to carry firearms in certain public spaces following a series of deadly shootings involving children.
For now, the focus in northern New Mexico is on stemming the tide before it worsens further. “This is about giving local communities the resources they need to protect their people,” Lujan Grisham said. “We can’t ignore the urgency any longer.”
