Federal judge temporarily blocks portions of New Mexico governor’s gun ban

Jack Hannah, CNN
·2 min read
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A federal judge blocked a temporary order from New Mexico’s governor that suspended the rights to carry guns in public, according to statements from the governor’s office and from the gun rights advocacy group that filed the lawsuit over the original order.

The ban is part of a public health emergency declaration over gun violence and drug abuse. The Democratic governor cited the killings of a 13-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy as well as two May mass shootings in the state in the declaration.

The order includes a 30-day suspension of open and concealed carry laws in Bernalillo County and a ban on the carrying of guns on state property, including state buildings, schools and some parks.

Wednesday’s ruling comes days after multiple gun rights activists sued Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, arguing the ban lacks historical precedence.

Demonstrators display open carry firearms at a Second Amendment Protest in response to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's recent public health order suspending the conceal and open carry of guns in and around Albuquerque for 30-days. - Roberto E. Rosales/AP
Demonstrators display open carry firearms at a Second Amendment Protest in response to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's recent public health order suspending the conceal and open carry of guns in and around Albuquerque for 30-days. - Roberto E. Rosales/AP

“A judge temporarily blocked sections of our public health order but recognized the significant problem of gun violence in this state, particularly involving the deaths of children. I refuse to be resigned to the status quo,” Grisham said in a statement reacting to the ruling.

“As governor, I see the pain of families who lost their loved ones to gun violence every single day, and I will never stop fighting to prevent other families from enduring these tragedies.”

The ruling has paused the gun ban enforcement of the public health order until a preliminary injunction hearing in approximately two weeks, according to Grisham’s office. The rest of the order remains in effect.

The National Association for Gun Rights, who filed a lawsuit against the governor, applauded the ruling.

“There is no exception to the Second Amendment. As a result of today’s temporary restraining order, the law-abiding gun owners of Albuquerque are able once again to exercise their right to bear arms,” said Hannah Hill, executive director of the association’s legal branch, in a statement.

CNN’s Conor Powell contributed to this story.

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