press releases

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall are calling for an investigation into conditions for detainees at all Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities. “We are troubled by continued reports of inhumane treatment at ICE detention facilities that appear to be widespread at facilities housing ICE...

U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich on Monday asked federal authorities investigate the conditions and oversight of immigrant detainees held in facilities such as the Otero County Processing Center in New Mexico. In a letter to acting U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, the Democratic senators from New Mexico said they had “deep...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 18, 2019) – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Chad Wolf and DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari requesting an investigation into the conditions and oversight for detainees held at all Immigration and Customs...

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule early next year on the Trump administration’s decision to discontinue the seven-year-old Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. But the fate of DACA recipients may not just rest in the hands of the high court. President Donald Trump sent signals again last week that he might be willing to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 15, 2019) – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued a statement demanding the resignation of White House Senior Advisor Stephen Miller after leaked emails published this week showed his affinity for white nationalism: "Any president in their right mind with any kind of moral compass would demand Stephen...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 13, 2019) – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) spoke on the Senate floor today after voting against the confirmation of Chad Wolf to serve as Undersecretary for Strategy, Policy, and Planning at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Wolf is widely expected to be appointed Acting DHS Secretary after his...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 13, 2019) – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and all Democratic senators in introducing the Senate companion to the House-passed Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. The bill, which would reauthorize VAWA through 2024,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 12, 2019) – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is encouraging individuals protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to renew their status, and is calling for Senate action to protect DREAMers. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on DACA today. President Trump terminated the DACA program...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) praised the Senate’s vote to recognize November as National Native American Heritage Month. “I’m proud that the Senate passed our bipartisan resolution recognizing November as Native American...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 6, 2019) – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today called for open hearings in the Senate Intelligence Committee on Section 215 of the Patriot Act before any markup is held. Wyden and Heinrich are senior members of the Senate Intelligence committee. They have consistently worked for...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 30, 2019) – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement supporting Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's call for a federal investigation into conditions at U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in New Mexico: “The deeply troubling reports of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 9, 2019) – U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich signed an amicus brief supporting equal rights for LGBTQ employees, in three cases where high-performing employees were fired once their bosses discovered their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Supreme Court began oral arguments this week in three...

Washington, D.C. (August 14, 2019) – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined 34 fellow Democratic senators to submit a comment letter for the record to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar criticizing the Trump Administration’s proposed rule to weaken critical protections that help...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The debate over guns is one that is very divisive, and one that many people are passionate about. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich says he is a hunter and believes in protecting the rights of law abiding gun owners. He also believes there should be changes in gun laws.  "Every shotgun I have has a plug in it so that I...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last week for blocking legislation he said would protect elections from foreign interference. He called on the Republican senator from Kentucky to allow votes on legislation following testimony by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 30, 2019) – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and fellow Democrats to call out the legislative graveyard that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has created, including blocking legislation to protect...

The Fair Elections Now Act would help reduce the influence of wealthy donors and big-money special interests by creating a voluntary system of public financing for Senate candidates. Candidates who participate in the Fair Elections process would agree to limit their campaign spending to the amounts raised from small-dollar donors plus the amounts...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), U.S. Assistant House Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Don Young (R-Alaska), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), and Tom Cole (R-Okla.) announced the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Native American Seeds Protection Act...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) reintroduced the bipartisan Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, a bill to prohibit the exporting of sacred Native American items and increase penalties for stealing and illegally trafficking tribal cultural patrimony. The House...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico’s U.S. senators are calling for hearings after reports of alleged sexual assault and inhumane treatment of migrant children in federal detention facilities. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall sent a letter to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., on Wednesday requesting a...