press releases

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — “I don't know what's going to happen. What is next?” Rana Said, a refugee from Baghdad, told us. Uncertainty looms over those affected by President Donald Trump's pending travel ban. Said sought asylum after war reached Baghdad. Her status is pending. She says she is unable to see her family she left...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will be in Albuquerque Saturday, February 18, to meet with refugees and immigrants, along with advocates from Lutheran Family Services, the Islamic Center of New Mexico, Catholic Charities, and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, to discuss the impact President Trump’s...

WASHINGTON — Today, amid news reports that the Trump administration had considered — but scrapped — a plan to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up undocumented immigrants, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich demanded a meeting and answers from immigration officials about...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, voted against the confirmation of Rex Tillerson to serve as U.S. Secretary of State. During a speech on Senate floor before the vote, Heinrich questioned Tillerson's lack of...

SANTA FE, N.M. – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) addressed a joint session of the New Mexico Legislature. Heinrich began his remarks by denouncing President Trump's executive order banning refugees and immigrants from entering the U.S. from several majority Muslim nations. “We are not a country that discriminates based...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led a group of Senate Democrats in introducing S. 229, the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2017, a bill to safeguard the private information—such as addresses and telephone numbers—of the young immigrants known as DREAMers to ensure that they are not...

Senate Democrats want to block President Trump from using personal information collected under an Obama-era program to round up and deport some immigrants.   Eight Democrats — led by Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico — are introducing legislation to prohibit the Trump administration from using information collected under...

Washington, D.C. – In a letter, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) urged President Obama to take action and protect the young immigrants known as DREAMers from deportation and ensure that they are not targeted by the incoming Trump Administration. In particular, he called on the President to use his presidential pardon power. “I...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) called on President Obama to work with the Corps of Engineers and the Department of Justice to de-escalate the violence at Camp Oceti Sakowin in North Dakota. In particular, he questioned the decision to close the area to demonstrators of the Dakota Access pipeline on December 5,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Democratic Hispanic Task Force, released the following statement today in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month: “The Hispanic community is an integral part of the economic, social, and cultural story of New Mexico and our nation. This month, we join in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement today after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 4-4 in United States v. Texas, the challenge to President Obama's deferred action programs: "Today's decision is disappointing and underscores the urgency of having a fully staffed Supreme Court. This indecision will...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is calling for more resources to ramp up security along the border in the Bootheel region in southwest New Mexico. "The concerns raised by families in Hidalgo County who are worried about the safety of their community need to be addressed. I stand ready to help address any threats to our...

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has granted New Mexico an immediate extension of REAL ID compliance deadlines to allow the state to implement a law passed last week by the legislature. In a...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that they are urging President Obama to temporarily suspend immigration removal actions against children and families from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras until questions about due process can be addressed. In a letter to President Obama sent yesterday, Udall and...

Sen. Martin Heinrich traveled to Southern New Mexico this weekend to tour the Health and Human Services' facility at Holloman Air Force Base as well as meet with military officials. "I think getting both squadrons with F-16's here was a big success story and they're doing well," Heinrich said. "There was concern about one of the squadrons...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following response to today's statement by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson on the final phase of REAL ID implementation: "In December, we convened a meeting with DHS officials...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and Representatives Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has informed them that the state of New Mexico can still get an extension of the deadline for REAL ID enforcement if Gov. Susana Martinez and...

New Mexico’s first border crossing may finally get the face-lift it has been waiting for. The federal fiscal 2016 appropriations bill signed into law last week includes $85.6 million to build new facilities at the Columbus port of entry, where the current building dates to 1989.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senator Martin Heinrich announced that they have secured $85.6 million for construction of a new, replacement land port of entry in Columbus, New Mexico. The project will expand the current border crossing facilities to safely and efficiently...

WASHINGTON, D.C - Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation that would authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to search public social media profiles of any foreigner seeking a U.S. visa. “Reviewing the public social media posts of an individual seeking a U.S. visa is just common...