Governor authorizes more funding for National Guard mission to Albuquerque

SANTA FE — With the launch date of a New Mexico National Guard deployment to Albuquerque approaching, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has freed up more funding for the close-to-home operation.

The governor issued an executive order last week that authorizes up to $750,000 in additional funds for Operation Zia Shield, which was announced last month as a way to allow Albuquerque police officers to focus more on fighting crime.

The order follows an initial order issued April 9 that authorized a similar funding amount, bringing the total amount available to $1.5 million. Both orders stipulate the funds should be spent for the purposes of protecting public health and “avoiding or minimizing economic and physical harm.”

Lujan Grisham spokesman Michael Coleman confirmed Thursday the latest order was directed at providing more funding, while indicating more orders could also be forthcoming.

“The governor will provide additional executive orders, as necessary, to ensure adequate funding to support the mission,” Coleman told the Journal.

New Mexico National Guard Adjutant General Miguel Aguilar said last week 71 guard members will be deployed as part of the mission, which was authorized by the governor in response to a request from Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina.

The National Guard members deployed on the mission will not carry guns, wear fatigues or be authorized to make arrests, state and local officials have said. But they will carry pepper spray for self-protection and Narcan, which can be used to reverse an overdose of fentanyl or other opioids.

The bulk of Operation Zia Shield is scheduled to begin on Memorial Day weekend, though some work is already underway. The mission has no current deadline, but Aguilar indicated it’s likely to last for at least six months.

The Albuquerque police chief has said the deployed guard members will be assigned time-consuming tasks — like directing traffic and securing crime scenes — so officers can focus on other duties. But they’ve also undergone training in self-defense and crisis intervention techniques.

The deployment is expected to be focused on Albuquerque’s International District along East Central that has seen high rates of open-air drug use and homelessness in recent years, though National Guard members could also be sent to other locations in the city.

The funding authorized by the governor will be used for pay, equipment and lodging, said New Mexico National Guard spokesman Hank Minitrez.

Deployed guardsmen and guardswomen will receive a stipend known as a basic allowance for subsistence that is intended to cover meal costs, he added. National Guard members who live outside commuting area will have their lodging provided at Kirtland Air Force Base.

Meanwhile, the governor’s authority to issue orders authorizing appropriations of up to $750,000 per order comes from a state law that has been largely untouched over the last 60-plus years.

That funding limit has led to large amounts of such orders being issued in recent years, like the 139 orders Lujan Grisham issued for wildfire response efforts during the 2022 budget year.