Rebuilding in New Mexico: Resettlement at Risk
It took ten years to rebuild New Mexico's refugee program. Today, that recovery is at risk. Here's how we can build a more resilient resettlement program in the Land of Enchantment.
New Mexico Needs a Refugee Floor
New Mexico’s resettlement landscape has been profoundly shaped by executive volatility.
Prior to 2016, two parent resettlement agencies supported several resettlement offices across the state: Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, now Global Refuge, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In 2016, these two parent agencies resettled over 340 refugees in the Land of Enchantment. Following the initial election of President Trump, Catholic Charities stopped resettling refugees in New Mexico—though they continue to provide integration services.
It would be almost a decade before New Mexico’s resettlement program would recover.
At its lowest point, New Mexico’s refugee program only resettled 27 refugees. Just last year, New Mexico resettled over 300 refugees for the first time since 2016.
Today, New Mexico’s refugee program is once again at risk.
While Global Refuge’s offices in Albuquerque and Las Cruces continue to provide resettlement services, New Mexico’s refugee program is undeniably less resilient than it was before. With only one parent agency, the state’s resettlement efforts are more vulnerable to decreases in arrivals, funding cuts, and continued political turmoil.
How can we build a more resilient resettlement program in the Land of Enchantment?
By passing a bipartisan bottom line for the U.S. Refugee Program.
New Mexico’s Congressional Delegation
While broadly supportive of refugees, none of New Mexico’s current Congressional delegation has co-sponsored the GRACE Act in recent years—though one member of New Mexico’s current House delegation sponsored a similar proposal in 2019.
Senator Heinrich (D) has met with Ukrainian refugees, supported the continued resettlement of Syrian refugees, and voted against cuts to resettlement funding.
Senator Luján (D) has called for expedited processing for Afghan SIV applicants.
Representative Leger Fernández (D) has previously cosponsored the House’s World Refugee Day resolution.
Representative Stansbury (D), who represents Albuquerque’s resettlement office, supported the evacuation of Afghan refugees to New Mexico’s Holloman Air Force Base.
Representative Vasquez (D), who represents the resettlement office in Las Cruces, has also voted against cuts to funding for refugee processing.
With a little local outreach, these representatives could become champions for a resettlement floor.
Local Outreach Opportunities
The State of Enchantment is brimming with potential advocates for a resettlement floor—advocates that can articulate the importance of a bottom line for ensuring the resiliency of New Mexico’s refugee program.
New Mexico’s Attorney General
In April, New Mexico’s Attorney General (D) joined a letter and press conference moderated by The Refugee Advocacy Lab—who we are now a proud partner of—calling on the Trump Administration to resume resettlement.
Attorney General Torrez highlighted the importance of welcoming the stranger to his Catholic faith, ascribed America’s greatness to our generosity, and defended the lawful and orderly nature of the U.S. Refugee Program.
“I’m a state prosecutor. I was a federal prosecutor…Within the context of the immigration debate, one of the things I routinely hear is that people support lawful immigration. That’s exactly what this program is.
I hear routinely about people who are concerned about public safety and crime…The folks who have been resettled as a part of this program go through enormous vetting and screening.
And so, their presence in our Country makes us better, makes us safer, makes us stronger economically—but most importantly, it renews a sense of America’s moral purpose in the world and I think that’s what we desperately need right now.
Attorney General Torrez should build on his previous support by calling for a resettlement minimum.
New Mexico’s Governor
While Governor Luján Grisham (D) has been less forthcoming on her support for resettlement, her solutions-oriented approach to border policy positions her to be a strong leader in crafting the political environment that could enable a bipartisan bottom line.
At a conversation hosted by Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics in May, the Governor called for bipartisan immigration reform:
“Where we go from here? For God’s sakes, every American—instead of being mad at Democrats or being livid at Republicans, and just hating Congress—use Congress, force them to pass immigration reform. We want to stop this indiscriminate effort? Pass it.
If everyone focused there, for the next six or seven months—as we’re going to be building up towards an election…Republicans said they wanted immigration reform, they were going to pass it—it was bipartisan, so this should work for either party: Demand that they do the work so that we have the right law and tools.”
Additional engagement by the Governor on resettlement is well-warranted. She oversees New Mexico’s Human Services Department, which houses the state’s Refugee Resettlement Program. This executive mandate was codified in state regulations in 2013.
In both rule and reality, continued administration of the Refugee Resettlement Program is contingent upon “receipt of federal funds.” Governor Luján Grisham needs a floor if she wants a reliable refugee program in New Mexico.
The New Mexico State Legislature
Four of New Mexico’s state legislators directly represent a resettlement office.
Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez (D) and Representative Janelle Anyanonu (D) represent Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains in Albuquerque and Senator Jeff Steinborn (D) and Representative Angelica Rubio (D) represent the resettlement office in Las Cruces.
Though they have supported legislation broadly supportive of immigrants—including legislation to support immigrant healthcare providers, U-Visa applicants, and those at risk of detention for civil immigration violations—none have sponsored legislation this session to ensure the lights stay on in New Mexico’s resettlement offices.
Why? We haven’t asked them to.
The New Mexico State Legislature should consider stop-gap funding for its refugee program and a resolution of support for a federal floor next cycle—or during any special sessions focused on addressing federal budget cuts.
Faith-based Advocates at the State Capitol
Faith-based advocates can play a key role in increasing state legislative engagement on resettlement. Albuquerque’s resettlement agency recently attended the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), an assembly of 159 congregations engaged in faith-based work—including advocacy.
The Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of New Mexico is heavily engaged in the legislative process, hosting an annual issue briefing and advocacy conference. They have the ear of leadership—with House Majority Leader Representative Szczepanski attending last year’s event.
While they participated in Immigrant and Workers’ Day of Action and prioritized prohibitions related to immigrant detention last session, their agenda has room for additional items on resettlement—especially considering that all of New Mexico’s resettlement offices are run by Global Refuge, the Lutheran resettlement agency.
The ELCA’s Social Statement on “Economic Life—A Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All” supports resettlement, stating, “We call for…government to provide adequate income assistance and related services for citizens, documented immigrants, and refugees who are unable to provide for their livelihood through employment.”
Additionally, ELCA joined an “Interfaith Solidarity Statement on Refugees and Immigrants” this past March, which urged “all people of faith and goodwill to join us in advocating with our elected leaders” for restoration of federal resettlement partnerships—partnerships at risk in New Mexico.
Albuquerque Local Government
Support for resettlement extends to New Mexico’s local governments—including Albuquerque. In 2016, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the City of Albuquerque established an Office of Refugee and Immigrant Affairs.
The Office has supported Afghan refugees, several “Rent To A Refugee” campaigns, and surveyed the immigrant and refugee communities across the City to identify additional needs.
The survey’s first recommendation is to “Continue to support the good work already taking place” by “bolster[ing] the efforts of existing community-based organizations” and “provid[ing] opportunities for CBOs to communicate and collaborate with each other to tackle systemic problems and avoid gaps in services.” Surely, city-wide advocacy for a resettlement floor meets these criteria.
In 2018, the City Council reaffirmed the importance of the Office’s work via resolution. Mayor Tim Keller’s recent Executive Order focused on safeguarding immigrant and refugee communities reaffirms the City’s support for immigrant communities; City Council members have responded by planing to “introduce legislation” to “further codify immigrant protections” this month.
One of those resolutions should call on New Mexico’s Congressional delegation to support a resettlement minimum, ensuring refugees can continue to find home in Albuquerque.
Las Cruces Local Government
Las Cruces has expressed similar support for resettlement. In 2021, the Las Cruces City Council passed a resolution supportive of Afghan refugees. More recently, Mayor Eric Enriquez reaffirmed the City's welcoming character:
“We believe that we are a ‘city of cariño’…We are a welcoming city. We will continue to work with whatever we need to do and whatever resolutions we need to continue the support and means to help those individuals here and work for our residents here in Las Cruces.”
Mayor Enriquez is a leader on local immigrant integration, speaking at the 2024 Bloomberg CityLab on cross-border collaboration at the city level.
As the Mayor of one of New Mexico’s two resettlement cities, Enriquez could become a strong champion—both locally and nationally—for a resettlement floor.
New Mexico is Home
New Mexico is a special place of refuge for some refugees. The first thing that Ghazala, an Afghan refugee living in Santa Fe, did when she landed in New Mexico was “check my GPS to make sure I was in the U.S. because I couldn’t believe it…The mountains and blue sky remind me of Bamyan, and it gave me the feeling I was home. I love that so much about New Mexico.”
There’s nowhere like the Land of Enchantment. Without a resettlement floor, future refugee business owners, farmers, acclaimed poets, local reporters, authors, religious leaders, doctors and scientists may be unable to find refuge in New Mexico.
Luckily, local support for resettlement is strong. If we can uplift that support for a bipartisan bottom line, New Mexico’s resettlement program can continue to offer the world’s most vulnerable refuge—and unrivaled enchantment.
Thanks for reading Save Resettlement.
Next week: Resettlement at risk in New York.
In the meantime, listen to Kaitlyn Lubega’s recitation of “The Coming Woman.” Lubega, a refugee and recent graduate of United World College-USA in Montezuma, recently represented New Mexico at the 2025 Poetry Out Loud competition.
