With President Donald Trump’s recent intervention in Washington, D.C.’s police operations and his deployment of the National Guard to tackle the city’s escalating crime issues, attention has turned to other major cities long governed by Democrats. Residents in areas such as New York and Chicago express fear about walking the streets at night. These lenient stances on crime across Democrat-controlled regions are a growing concern, manifesting in various forms. As is often the case with unsuccessful Democratic strategies, those in greatest need suffer the most.

BREAKING POINT: Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared an emergency in Rio Arriba County, pointing to a “significant surge” in drugs and violence. pic.twitter.com/A7oPojIIwm

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 14, 2025

READ MORE: Trump’s Got a Great Suggestion for Reporters Claiming D.C. Crime Is Not a Problem

The most recent development is in New Mexico, where Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in a Wednesday announcement for a substantial portion of the state plagued by rampant violence and drug trafficking. Rio Arriba County, stretching from Española to the Colorado border, includes two Native American Pueblo communities. This area has historically battled high rates of overdose deaths, among the worst nationwide. During her announcement, Lujan emphasized how these public threats have “overwhelmed local resources.” 

“When our local leaders called for help to protect their communities, we responded immediately with decisive action. 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,” Lujan stated.

The emergency declaration by Lujan-Grisham will allocate $750,000 to the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. This funding will help coordinate the response to the communities severely impacted by the crime wave. The surge in criminal activity has predictably led to outcomes like increased homelessness, family disintegration, and a rise in fatal drug overdoses. Local governments and police forces are finding it difficult to cope with these demands.

Additionally, Governor Lujan-Grisham reported that residential calls to the police in Espanola and its neighboring areas have doubled over the past two years, and business-related calls have increased fourfold during the same period. Rio Arriba County now experiences the state’s highest overdose death rate. While the National Guard hasn’t been deployed, the additional funds will support overtime costs, purchase equipment, and enhance coordinated police responses.

In recent years, drug and alcohol addiction has hit some Native American communities the hardest. In New Mexico, the addiction rate on tribal lands is three times higher than in the general population. Many Native American communities are already at a disadvantage, suffering from extreme poverty and high unemployment rates. Increasing rates of mental illness in those communities and a lack of treatment services have also not helped. James Naranjo is the tribal governor of Santa Clara Pueblo near Espanola. In a July letter to Lujan-Grisham, he urged her to address the problem and its effect on the Pueblo community, saying,

“The Pueblo has expended thousands of dollars trying to address this crisis… and to protect Pueblo children who are directly and negatively affected by a parent’s or guardian’s addiction. But we are not an isolated community and the causes and effects of fentanyl/alcohol abuse, increased crime and increased homelessness extend to the wider community.”

Gov. Lujan-Grisham might have been one of the first Democrats who had to admit there is a problem. She deployed the National Guard to Albuquerque in April after a spike in juvenile and fentanyl crime. The fact that Albuquerque is a sanctuary city might point to the reason for that spike.

#NEW: Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in Española and surrounding Rio Arriba County, pointing to increases in crime and drug overdoses in the region. https://t.co/MbXMMWx0Km

— Santa Fe New Mexican (@thenewmexican) August 13, 2025

New Mexico Republicans seemed pleasantly surprised by Lujan-Grisham’s move. Espanola City Councilor Sam LeDoux said:

“I am pleased that the governor is addressing the out-of-control crime in our community. It has long been overrun and not addressed. Fentanyl has overwhelmed our law enforcement, and this seems to be a step in the right direction to protecting our citizens.”

New Mexico Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Barela was also encouraged, but also called out state Democrat leaders, saying,

“This community is long overdue in receiving help to combat the out-of-control crime caused by the failed policies of our state leadership. While I hope the deployment of the National Guard will provide real assistance, the people of Española deserve more than just street counselors — they deserve action that addresses the root of the problem.”

A state of emergency for violent crime in a blue state?

That’s the predictable result of failed policies and a weak justice system.

They’ve opened the floodgates and now can’t handle the chaos.

Don’t expect solutions from the same people who create… https://t.co/uOJj0zdqhD

— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNah) August 14, 2025

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