ALBUQUERQUE – Democratic elected officials in New Mexico are cautioning President Donald Trump against any possible plans to send federal agents to the state as the sheriff of New Mexico’s largest county travels to the White House on Wednesday.
The Department of Homeland Security has agents patrolling Portland, Oregon, to protect federal buildings, despite pleas from the mayor, governor and local activists to leave. And the agency is poised to deploy about 150 Homeland Security Investigations agents to Chicago to bolster local law enforcement, said an official with direct knowledge of the plans who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The sheriff of New Mexico’s most populous county that includes Albuquerque said he will travel to the White House on Wednesday regarding a partnership between his agency and the Department of Justice to address violent crime in Albuquerque.
Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales was not immediately available for further comment. The news release said Gonzales would provide a briefing on his White House visit after returning to New Mexico.
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich called on Gonzales to resign.
“Instead of collaborating with the Albuquerque Police Department, the sheriff is inviting the president’s stormtroopers into Albuquerque,” Heinrich said in a statement.
