On March 31, APD Chief Harold Medina sent a letter to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham requesting that the National Guard be deployed to Albuquerque to assist the Albuquerque Police Department to fulfill “non-law enforcement duties” such as providing security at crime scene perimeters and transporting prisoners. Chief Medina expressed the need to keep APD officers patrolling the streets and not driving prisoners to the Metropolitan Detention Center and not provide security at city facilities and courthouses. The National Guard would be used for helping with document filing and organization of APD cases for prosecutors, operating drones and distributing food, water and aid to “vulnerable populations.” The emergency request from APD Chief Harold Medina cited rising violent juvenile crime and the fentanyl epidemic as issues that require immediate intervention.
The link to review the March 31 letter from Medina to the Governor is here:
Click to access 033125-ltr-from-medina-to-gmlg-re-national-guard-67f57cdb7dbc6.pdf
THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ORDER
On April 9, in response to Chief Medina’s request, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued her Executive Order declaring an emergency and sending 60 to 70 National Guard troops to aid the Albuquerque Police Department to help fight crime. The Executive Order directed an initial amount of up to $750,000 to be made available for the deployment of guardsmen.
The April 8 Executive Order states in part:
“… The emergency request from APD cites the fentanyl epidemic and rising violent juvenile crime as critical issues requiring immediate intervention. Additional support is needed to maintain momentum in addressing these challenges. … [The Executive Order is being issued] in response to ongoing public safety challenges in the city, particularly along the Central Avenue corridor and other specific areas”
In a news release announcing the order Governor Lujan Grisham said this:
“The safety of New Mexicans is my top priority. … By deploying our National Guard to support APD with essential duties, we’re ensuring that trained police officers can focus on what they do best [which is] keeping our communities safe. This partnership represents our commitment to addressing the fentanyl crisis and juvenile crime with every resource at our disposal.”
The governor’s executive order left the timeline for the National Guards presence open-ended but said they would arrive in mid-May and would address “ongoing public safety challenges in the city, particularly along the Central Avenue corridor and other specific areas.”
The governor’s office said the National Guard would assist in the following specific areas:
- Scene security and traffic control at critical incidents
- Medical assistance and humanitarian efforts along Central Avenue
- Prisoner Transport Unit assistance
- Transit security enhancement
- Metro Court security support
- Aviation/Sunport security assistance
- Shield Unit case preparation support
- APD Drone Program operational assistance
National Guard personnel were not armed nor in military uniform but wore black polo shirts and brown pants and carried pepper spray. The National Guard have no law enforcement authority to arrest and can not take criminal suspects into custody.
Up to 125 National Guard personnel worked with the APD since June with the total cost going from $750,000 to upwards of $7 million with deployment paid for by the state. The operation made national headlines, in part as a major contrast to President Trump’s controversial decision to send uniformed National Guard troops to Democrat controlled U.S. cities to fight crime. National Guard troops deployed to those cities by Trump have been armed and in full military uniform.
On December 20, a full six months after the Executive Order was issued, and $7 million spent, it was announced that the New Mexico National Guard was leaving its “emergency” deployment with the Albuquerque Police Department. The departure of the National Guard came with absolutely no fanfare. However, the National Guards departure did come after city and state officials argued over a few months over the deployment and whether the National Guards mission was even a success.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
Deploying the National Guard was not the first time Governor Lujan Grisham has declared an emergency over crime in the city and dispatched reinforcements to Albuquerque’s streets. However, it was the very first time she deployed the National Guard and none law enforcement personnel to help.
In 2019, Lujan Grisham dispatched dozens of New Mexico State Police officers to Albuquerque for the Metro Surge Operation after University of New Mexico baseball player Jackson Weller was fatally shot in Nob Hill. That operation came under scrutiny when many of the prosecutions fell apart because the officers, who came from all over the state, didn’t show up to hearings and cases were dismissed.
In September 2023, Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency over gun violence, spurred by the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy. She ordered a firearm ban in public places in Bernalillo County, which was quickly challenged in court and blocked by a federal judge.
FUNCTION AND PURPOSE OF NEW MEXICO NATIONAL GUARD
The New Mexico Army National Guard is a part-time state-based military component that serves a dual mission. Each Guard unit serves under the command of the governor to respond to natural disasters or other state emergencies. In addition, Guard units can be activated to defend the nation when needed.
The National Guard’s main mission is to respond to domestic emergencies and combat missions. National Guard personnel are state officers exercising state authority. The national guard does not have authority to make any law enforcement arrests and essentially engages in military or marshal law functions when necessary to restore order.
The New Mexico National Guard is the militia of the U.S. state of New Mexico. Comprising the New Mexico Army National Guard and the New Mexico Air National Guard, it is part of the National Guard of the United States, a reserve force under both state and federal jurisdiction.
https://nationalguard.com/new-mexico
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico_National_Guard
SCATHING CRITISISM OF MAYOR KELLER AND CITY BY FORMER KELLER CAO SARITA NAIR
On October 10, NM Development of Workforce Solutions Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair sent a blistering email to Mayor Tim Keller and City Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel highly critical of the city’s use of the National Guard. Sarita Nair was Mayor Keller’s chief administrative officer during his first term from 2017 to early 2022. The Nair email was obtained by the Albuquerque Journal. In her email, Nair complained of the city’s performance and decried the lack of data from APD about the National Guard impact on crime. Nair noted that after undergoing training for the assignment, National Guard personnel began work in June. Nair wrote this:
“Since that time, the National Guard has deployed significant resources, the State Police have engaged in stepped-up enforcement, and members of the Governor’s senior staff have personally engaged to try to make the operation a success. … Early on, through reports provided by the City, the State learned that, despite some positive movement, the overall impact of the operation did not reflect the substantial investment of State resources.”
Nair referenced a meeting in July during which state officials sought to “discuss the City’s lack of commitment to the National Guard deployment”. She wrote that Mayor Keller did not even show up to the meeting and wrote:
“Despite Mayor Keller’s unexpected absence, the meeting was productive, and our respective teams left with a renewed dedication to the mission. We agreed that a more proactive presence in the streets of the International District was paramount, whether that be through law enforcement or other personnel. The City reiterated its desire to take the lead on planning and requesting resources. Once again, this did not result in better outcomes.”
Nair wrote that at a follow-up meeting occurred in September where state officials met with APD Chief Medina and CAO Sengel “to discuss the lack of progress in improving the emergency conditions, particularly in the International District. The State proposed a plan to focus efforts in a more defined geographic region.”
The city and state agreed to focus on the area bounded by Louisiana on the west, Pennsylvania on the east, Zuni on the south, and Chico on the north. Nair wrote this:
“[The plan was to] saturate the small area in resources, outreach, and services, freeing up law enforcement to do their jobs. The City agreed and stated that it had already begun to use this approach. The City stated that it already planned to have resource tents at the International District Library to provide resources to people experiencing homelessness. The group agreed that after the crime, litter, encampments, and other illicit activities were addressed in this small area, we could gradually expand the footprint of the operation.
Nair wrote in her October 10 email to Mayor Keller and CAO Sengel:
“We have no reports on whether the streets are cleaner or safer, or if 311 calls have abated. … [Without any data] the State must rely on its own observations. … Our team regularly travels through the International District. There is not a single street in the focus area that does not have an encampment or hub of illicit activity, as well as litter and other blight … We have witnessed police cars drive past women who were passed out in the street. We have seen no increased outreach or an additional presence of proactive policing. Adding our personnel to ‘business as usual’ was never the idea of the National Guard deployment. But without City leadership, nothing more has happened.”
We are deeply concerned that International District residents will never get the safe streets they deserve if the City cannot address the problems in one quarter of one square mile, even with the investment of significant State resources. The City has simply been unable to articulate a vision for the resources it requested or to implement its side of the operation.”
CITY RESPONDS
On Friday, December 19, APD Spokesman Gilbert Gallegos responded to the Albuquerque Journal regarding Nair’s October 10 email criticisms and said this in a statement:
“Albuquerque residents did not want a militarized presence of National Guard making arrests in the community. We utilized Guard members in a way that freed up APD officers to do proactive policing and continue the decrease in violent crime”
Gallegos provided percentages showing that from June 1 through Dec. 15, 2025, there were 46% fewer homicides in the Southeast Area Command, compared to the same period in 2024. As far as the deployment in June through September, Gallegos provided the following statistics:
- 29% increase in felony arrests
- 39% increase in misdemeanor arrests
- 5% decrease in property crimes within the Central Corridor
- 10% decrease in robbery within the Central Corridor
- 4% decrease in aggravated assaults in the Central Corridor
GOVERNOR LUJAN GRISHAM NOT SATISFIED
On Friday, December 19, Governor Lujan Grisham’s spokesperson issued a statement in response to the Albuquerque Journal questions regarding the National Guard’s deployment to the city and said this:
“The Governor appreciates members of the National Guard who answered the call to assist the Albuquerque Police Department, but she is disappointed that the mission did not achieve a sustained decrease in crime. This is partially due to lax engagement by local partners and also because New Mexico’s criminal justice system too often allows serious offenders back on the streets within days or even hours of an arrest.
The mission could have been more successful if the Keller Administration had engaged in strategy development and shown more initiative in maximizing the governor’s deployment of National Guard resources in the community. A similar mission in Rio Arriba County is having more success because of intensive collaboration and coordination [among] elected officials and law enforcement agencies to capitalize on the deployment. As for cost, the deployment [in Albuquerque] cost $7 million.”
The governor’s office said data shows more than half of those taken into custody during the operation have been released.
Despite the city’s statistics provided for the Southeast Area Command as proof that the National Guard deployment was a success, Governor Lujan Grisham said she was not satisfied. The Governor went so far as to say the city cherry-picked some statistics, stating
“Until I can drive downtown… or here… without having to stop for a fire, they are not trending in the right direction.”
Governor Lujan Grisham believes city officials missed the opportunity to collaborate with the state and county on new procedures for fighting crime and addressing the homeless crisis. The Governor said this:
“I wrote letters, that sounds passive, but that’s what we do, I put it in writing, sent a letter to Gateway, sent a letter to the mayor, I went to a meeting myself here in Albuquerque and demanded the mayor and chief of police be there.”
The Lujan Grisham emphasized the ongoing crime crisis in Albuquerque and said this:
“I’ll take every opportunity to do that but how many town halls, how many press releases how many radio interviews, how many letters? Is there someone in Albuquerque who isn’t well aware that we have a crime crisis in this city?”
Governor Lujan Grisham shared her personal experiences, witnessing theft and traffic problems, and highlighted the need for better support services for high-risk individuals. She called for an end to the cycle of blame, saying this:
“We have to get off this merry go round, everyone points fingers and to your point did you do enough? I think we did everything I know to do.”
APD CHIEF MEDINA THANKS GOVERNOR AND NATIONAL GUARD
On December 17, APD Chief Harold Medina sent a letter to National Guard Major General Miguel Aguilar thanking the National Guard for the deployment. Chief Medina said since the arrival of the National Guard members, “crime has continued to go down significantly, making our community safer.” Medina wrote “APD, with the National Guard assistance, has been able to divert arrestees from jail to treatment, reducing the administrative strain on APD’s resources.”
Medina wrote in his letter to National Guard Major General Miguel Aguilar that while the issues related to drug addiction and the unhoused persist in the Central Avenue corridor, federal drug enforcement is needed to address drug trafficking. Medina also called for the Legislature to build on the governor’s efforts to invest in drug and alcohol treatment options. Medina said he did not see a need for continued deployment, but hoped the National Guard would help the city with humanitarian aid and shelter for the unhoused.
Responding to media inquiries on the National Guard Deployment, Medina admitted that the rollout could have been better. Chief Medina said this:
“I think we could have worked on communicating better with the community at the start of this and not played catch-up like we had to. But overall, I think it served a purpose of what we needed.”
Medina said the city thanked the governor for her assistance. Medina added that the issues that led to the National Guard deployment are complex and he said this:
“But did it make Central look better? No, it looks the same. We own that. We know that. But can anybody say it’s a lack of effort of law enforcement? Nobody.”
During the recent mayoral runoff election campaign, Republican Darren White severely criticized Mayor Keller and the city’s management of the homeless crisis. White went so far to promise to clear all encampments “on day one”. On December 9, White lost to Keller in a landslide vote of 58% for Keller to White’s 42% and Keller was elected to a third four year term.
Medina told the Journal that arresting unhoused individuals isn’t a panacea, especially given that not every unhoused person “needs to be in jail.” Medina said this:
“Where they need to be is in treatment. Jail isn’t going to kick the problem. And sentences for criminal trespassing and other related misdemeanors last an average 1.4 days and then the individual is released.”
https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/governor-frustrated-with-use-of-national-guard-in-albuquerque/
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
To be perfectly blunt, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham bears much responsibility for the failure by the National Guard she deployed to Albuquerque to reduce crime and address violent crime. Her Executive Order deploying the National Guard was as clear as day that the guard was deployed only for the purpose of freeing up APD Officers to concentrate on law enforcement. The National Guard was assigned only to assist in the following areas:
- Scene security and traffic control at critical incidents
- Medical assistance and humanitarian efforts along Central Avenue
- Prisoner Transport Unit assistance
- Transit security enhancement
- Metro Court security support
- Aviation/Sunport security assistance
- Shield Unit case preparation support
- APD Drone Program operational assistance
The above duties are not the normal functions of the National Guard. The Governor relegated the National Guard to perform strictly support or clerical services that in no way could bring down crime nor address the homeless crisis along Central. The National Guard have no cross deputization giving them law enforcement powers and they could not take people in custody nor make arrests. To add insult to injury, the National Guard were not armed nor allowed to wear their military uniforms but wore black polo shirts and brown pants and carried pepper spray.
LOST OPPORTUNITY
Central Avenue starting East from San Pedro to Eubank and which boarders in part the New Mexico State Fair grounds to the North and the International District to the South has become the “epicenter” of the city’s homeless crisis. Hundreds of homeless, and perhaps thousands over the last few years, illegally camp on the streets and open space and congregate regularly along Central Avenue and side streets and engage in illicit drug use and sales and other crimes, including violent crimes.
The homeless use the streets South and North of Central as a dumping ground for trash and debris and as outdoor latrines to relieve themselves. Businesses along Central have become magnets for the homeless and many have closed while others have spent thousands of dollars to erected fences to keep the homeless out to no avail. The city periodically does sweeps of Central and the side streets to dismantle homeless encampments. The Albuquerque Community Safety division’s outreach to the homeless in the area has failed to reduce the congregating homeless and the illegal camping on streets.
The blunt reality is that an APD Tactical Plan should have been prepared where APD along with the National Guard in full uniform and armed were deployed together with the Albuquerque Community Safety Division officers along Central from San Pedro to Wyoming, especially bordering the State Fair and in the International District. A major “sweep” of the area would have made a difference and would have sent a strong message to the community. The National Guard would not have had arrest authority but could have provided protective support functions to APD Officers, the Albuquerque Community Safety Division officers and assisted in ordering the unhoused to disperse. APD could have made legitimate arrests on outstanding warrants and perhaps felonies they found. The City’s Solid Waste Division could have also clean up the streets of debris, trash and litter. After the Tactical Plan was complete and the sweep conducted, the National Guard could have remained stationed along central to patrol the area and prevent the homeless from congregating or returning.
Instead of participating in legitimate law enforcement activity to respond to a domestic emergency to secure the area along Central and protect the public the National Guard were relegated to performing clerical functions out of uniform wearing black polo shirts and brown pants and carrying pepper spray all thanks to the Governor’s executive order.
SARITA NAIR SETTLES PERSONAL SCORE WITH KELLER AND MEDINA
What is truly insulting is that Governor Lujan Grisham ostensibly dispatched Work Force Solutions Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair to ostracize and be critical of Keller and APD. Nair essentially carried out a personal vendetta against Mayor Keller and APD for poor job performance on how the city utilized the National Guard.
It can not be ignored that Sarita Nair was Mayor Keller’s very first Chief Administrative Officer during Keller’s entire first term from 2017 to early 2022. Before that, she worked for Keller when he was State Auditor heading up a major Division to combat waste, fraud and abuse. There is no doubt that Sarita Nair was Keller’s closest confident and advisor. She exerted great influence over City Hall, especially over APD and then Deputy Chief Harold Medina, but did not have a very good working relationship with the Albuquerque City Council.
As Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the City, Nair work very closely with then Deputy Chief Harold Medina and she oversaw APD functions and budgets. It was Sarita Nair who worked with Harold Medina to orchestrate the removal of former APD Chief Michael Geier to get Medina appointed APD Chief.
After Keller was elected to a second term in 2021, the newly elected City Council demanded that Keller re-submit the name of Sarita Nair for advise and consent as Chief Administrative Officer by the City Council. Confidential sources reported that Nair no longer had the support nor confidence of at least 5 city councilors to get confirmed. The problem was Mayor Keller declined to advocate for her re-appointment as CAO. Nair terminated her employment with Keller upset with his failure to go to her defense.
Sarita Nair is supposed to be addressing the state’s employment woes as the State’s Labor Secretary but instead was given authority to oversee the National Guard Deployment, a responsibility that should have been that of the Secretary of Homeland Security. Sarita Nair no doubt relished the opportunity to take on her former boss Mayor Tim Keller to try and embarrass him as well as Harold Medina, especially in an election year.
FINAL COMMENT
The bottom line, Governor Michell Lujan Grisham bears as much responsibility and blame as Mayor Tim Keller and APD for what can only be considered as a failed effort to get a handle on crime along Central and in the International District by use of the New Mexico National Guard. It was a $7 million dollar lost opportunity.