March 1, 2017
The Honorable Susana Martinez
Governor of New Mexico
490 Old Santa Fe Trail
Room 400
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Dear Governor Martinez,
As faith, conservation, and community leaders from New Mexico, we respectfully ask that you act in the best interest of New Mexicans to oppose the construction of President Trump’s proposed border wall on our state’s 179 miles of land bordering Mexico.
Mexico is our state’s largest trading partner, representing more than $1.68 billion in goods and services exchanged annually. International trade, including exports and imports, support more than 217,000 New Mexico jobs – that’s one in five. As you know, success in the export market is critical to diversifying our state’s economy. The volatility of global energy markets has had a profound effect on New Mexico’s families and economy, most recently leading to a $69 million state budget shortfall and a projected deficit of $250 million in 2018.
By opposing this border wall, and instead promoting a political, financial, and economic climate where trade with Mexico is valued and encouraged, New Mexico can grow its burgeoning international trade sector in areas such as Santa Teresa and Columbus. The Mexican import tariffs proposed by the Trump administration to force Mexico to finance the construction of this wall would have a profound impact on the ability of our state to grow this international trade sector and create new, sustainable jobs. A recent study by WalletHub indicates that New Mexico would be the fourth state most economically impacted by a trade war with Mexico, a reality that New Mexican families simply cannot afford.
Additionally, New Mexico benefits from vast, open areas on its southern border that are yet to be developed for industrial, light manufacturing, storage, warehouse, and logistics businesses. These businesses are being actively recruited by publicly and privately funded economic development organizations because of the potential growth opportunities that our border represents – a competitive advantage over other border states. Trump’s proposed border wall could also severely hamper initiatives to build a planned bi-national railway that would bring additional economic opportunities and jobs to our state and southern border and complement Union Pacific’s $400 million rail facility just built in Santa Teresa.
New Mexico shares a rich bi-national culture with Mexico dating back centuries. In Columbus, for example, during the Bi-National Cavalry Trail Remembrance Day, riders on horseback from both countries come together and cross the border in a sign of friendship and remembrance of the Punitive Expedition, an event widely advertised by the New Mexico Department of Tourism. For at least a decade, the City of Sunland Park, neighbor to Anapra, Mexico, has sought to build an international pedestrian crossing to increase visitation from Mexican tourists and to facilitate visitation between families who live on both sides of the border.
Each year, the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Las Cruces and El Paso host a joint pilgrimage at Mount Cristo Rey, a symbolic mountain that straddles the New Mexico, Mexico, and Texas borders, in a show of cultural and spiritual unity. Across from Antelope Wells, New Mexico, planners from the state of Chihuahua are nearing the final stages of completing a bi-national road to connect our two countries and spur new economic development opportunities and further strengthen the ties between New Mexico and the States of Chihuahua and Sonora. In Doña Ana County, the Mexican national flag is emblazoned in the plaza of the Town of Mesilla, a tribute to the Doña Ana Bend Colony, the Mexican land grant colony that paved the way for the modern-day Mesilla Valley.
Building a border wall in New Mexico to divide our two nations would undermine centuries of shared history between our two countries that brings New Mexicans pride, a sense of identity, and tourism opportunities.
Life on our border extends beyond human habitation and a shared culture. In the vast Chihuahuan Desert and Coronado National Forest, thousands of diverse wildlife species thrive and migrate across our shared border for survival. The heart of one of the the largest and most ecologically diverse wildlife corridors in all of the Americas exists at the center of the wall’s proposed construction site. The southern end of the Rocky Mountains, the northern end of the Sierra Madres and the edges of both the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts all intersect on New Mexico’s border.
Regional native species, including desert bighorn sheep, Sonoran pronghorn, Coues deer, jaguar to myriad game and songbirds and non-game mammals and reptiles depend upon the unwalled border corridor for their survival. These species migrate across the different existing international barriers in search of food, mates, sources of water, and to ensure the survival of their species. Beyond our shared responsibility to co-habitate with wildlife, these species also serve critical needs to the people of New Mexico, including the sustainability of our food supply, economic development through hunting, wildlife watching, and other recreation opportunities, and also help ensure we keep our desert and forest ecosystems in conditions that mitigate the impact of flash flooding and forest fires. Additionally, the Mexican government has stated its opposition to the border wall on many grounds, including the negative impacts on shared ecosystems and wildlife corridors along the border that both countries mutually manage.
The construction of such a wall on New Mexico’s border would have devastating impacts on our economy, our shared bi-national culture, and our environment and wildlife. New Mexico is a land of inclusivity – not a place that turns people away and turns its back on its shared culture. In the best interest of the people of New Mexico, we ask that you do everything within your power, including stopping the exchange of New Mexicans’ state land, to oppose the border wall proposed by President Trump’s Administration within the boundaries of the State of New Mexico.
With gratitude,
Rev. Andrew Black
First Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe, NM
Sr. Joan Brown, OSF
Executive Director
New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, Albuquerque, NM
Robert Woodruff
Pastor
Second Presbyterian Church
Albuquerque, NM
Pam Fraser-Walters
President
New Mexico Interfaith Dialogue
Albuquerque, NM
Nancy Rice
Clerk of Hospitality Committee
Religious Society of Friends
Albuquerque, NM
Ashley Zappe
Youth Group Leader
Holy Trinity Orthodox Parish, Santa Fe, NM
Sylvia Miller-Mutia
Rector
St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Albuquerque, NM
Donnel Miller-Mutia
Bereavement Counselor
Hospice Compassus, Albuquerque, NM
Blaine Wimberly
Pastor
Zia United Methodist Church, Santa Fe, NM
Rev. Elizabeth McMaster (ret.)
Albuquerque, NM
Seth Finch
Pastor
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Albuquerque, NM
Rabbi Paul J. Citrin
Taos Jewish Center, Taos, NM
Rev. Dr.Nancy Hitt
Consulting Minister
Unitarian Universalist Westside Congregation, Rio Rancho, NM
Rev. Sue Joiner
Senior Minister
1st Congregational United Church of Christ, Albuquerque, NM
Rev. Talitha Arnold
Senior Minister
The United Church of Santa Fe
Joel P. Garner
Abbot
Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey
Albuquerque, NM
Rev. Robert Aubrey (ret.)
CCSW, New Mexico and Texas
Rev. James Brown
Presbyterian Church (USA), Santa Fe, NM
Deacon Lynn Anner-Bolieu (ret.)
Episcopal Church of Navajoland (ECUSA)
Deacon Lynn Anner-Bolieu (ret.)
Episcopal Church of Navajoland (ECUSA)
Rev. Pamela Shepherd
Taos, NM
Rev. Karen Bash
Church of the Good Shepherd UCC
Albuquerque, NM
Rev. Allan Bash
Church of the Good Shepherd UCC
Albuquerque, NM
Rev. Warren J Broussard, S.J.
Immaculate Conception Church
Albuquerque, NM
Mary Jo Lundy
Presbyterian Elder
Santa Fe, NM
The Rev. Rhonda McIntire (ret.)
Episcopal Priest
Albuquerque, NM
Donald Conklin
Pastoral Associate (ret.)
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church
Albuquerque, NM
George Muedeking
Mission Elder
Mennonite Church, Albuquerque, NM
Rabbi Neil Amswych
Temple Beth Shalom, Santa Fe, NM
Karin Granberg-Michaelson
Retired Hospital Chaplain
Santa Fe, NM
Carol Edling Jolly
Associate Minister for Pastoral Care
United Church of Santa Fe UI
Barbara Gabioud
Chair, Board of Directors
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Silver City
Rev. Virginia Bairby
First Presbyterian Church of Taos
Michael Buttram
Outreach and Youth Ministry
United Church of Santa Fe
Rev. James M. Collie
Parish Associate
La Mesa Presbyterian Church
Albuquerque, NM
Father Gene Fries
Norbertine Community Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey, Albuquerque, NM
Rev. Sylvia-Miller Mutia
St. Thomas of Canterbury
Albuquerque, NM
Rev. Vincent Chavez
St. Therese School and Parish
Albuquerque, NM
Rev. Anita Amstutz
Ordained Mennonite Minister
Albuquerque, NM
Marlene Perrotte
Sister of Mercy
Albuquerque, NM
Garrett VeneKlasen
Executive Director
New Mexico Wildlife Federation
Albuquerque, NM
Gabe Vasquez
Co-Founder
Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project
Las Cruces, NM
Fernando Clemente
President
Friends of the Organ-Mountains Desert Peaks, Las Cruces, NM
Michael Casaus
New Mexico State Director
The Wilderness Society
Albuquerque, NM
Allyson Siwik
Executive Director
Gila Resources Information Project
Silver City, NM
M.H. Dutch Salmon
Chairman
Gila Conservation Coalition, Silver City, NM
Mark Allison
Executive Director
New Mexico Wilderness Alliance
Albuquerque, NM
Diana Hadley
President
Northern Jaguar Project
Hidalgo County, NM
Nathan Rees
Trout Unlimited
New Mexico & Arizona
John Horning
Executive Director
WildEarth Guardians (NM)
Cathy Bailey
Secretary and Chair of Governance Committee
WildEarth Guardians, Santa Fe, NM
Teresa Seamster
Chair, Northern New Mexico Group
Sierra Club, Santa Fe, NM
David Coss
Chair, Rio Grande Chapter
Sierra Club, Santa Fe, NM
Susan Ostlie
Leader
Rio Grande Valley Broadband of the Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Albuquerque, NM
Linda Starr
Co-Leader
Rio Grande Valley Broadband of the Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Albuquerque, NM
Oscar Simpson
State Chair/Legislative Chair
New Mexico Sportsmen/Backcountry Horsemen of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Guy Dicharry
Co-Founder/Attorney at Law
Wildlife Conservation Advocacy Southwest, Inc. (WCASW)
Los Lunas, NM
Thomas Stewart
President
Native Plant Society of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Jeff Swanson
President/Retired Military Chaplain
Southern New Mexico Public Lands Alliance
Alamogordo, NM
Donna Swanson
Member and Retired Educator
Southern New Mexico Public Lands Alliance & Otero County Public Land Use Council
Alamogordo, NM
Michael Robinson
Conservation Advocate
Center for Biological Diversity
Silver City, NM
Bryan Bird
Southwest Program Director
Defenders of Wildlife, Santa Fe, NM
Julie Weinstein
Vice President and Executive Director
Audubon New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Javier Perea
Mayor
City of Sunland Park
Gregory Z. Smith
Mayor Pro Tem
City of Las Cruces
Gill Sorg
City Councilor
District 5, City of Las Cruces
Angelica Rubio
New Mexico State Representative
District 35, Las Cruces, NM
Joanne Ferrary
New Mexico State Representative
District 37, Las Cruces, NM
Bill McCamley
New Mexico State Representative
District 33, Mesilla Park, NM
Javier Martinez
New Mexico State Representative
District 11, Albuquerque, NM
John Vasquez
County Commissioner
District 5, Doña Ana County, NM
Billy G. Garrett
County Commissioner
District 1, Doña Ana County, NM
Eric Rodriguez
Treasurer
Doña Ana County, NM
Renee Villarreal
City of Santa Fe City Councilor
District 1, Santa Fe, NM
Ray Jaramillo
Board Member
District 1, Las Cruces Public Schools
Maria A. Flores
Board Member, President
District 3, Las Cruces Public Schools
Mary Carter
Executive Director
Women’s Intercultural Center
Anthony, NM
Charles Goodmacher
Government Relations
National Education Association (NM)
Sarah Silva
Executive Director
NM CAFe, Las Cruces, NM
Dr. Ernest Flores, MD
Las Cruces, NM
Jutta Stonawski
Teacher of the Gifted
Gallup-McKinley County Schools
Gallup, NM
Felipe Gonzalez
Professor
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Kathryn Wichelns
Assistant Professor of English
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Mia Sosa-Provencio
Assistant Professor
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Adrian Telles
Teacher
Albuquerque Public Schools
Don Zancanella
Emeritus Professor
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Orlando Carrillo-Jiménez
Former Colonias Infrastructure Board Member
La Mesa, NM
Juliette Cunico, Ph.D
UNMVC Department of English
Albuquerque, NM
Olivia Provencio-Johnson
Administrative Coordinator
International Community Health Services
Dan Olson
Executive Director
San Juan Citizens Alliance
D.W. Hadley
Part Owner
Guadalupe Ranch
Hidalgo County, NM
Carrie Hamblen
CEO/President
Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce
Claudia Bianca
Owner of RET
Taos, NM
Denise Chávez
Director, Author and Bookseller
Casa Camino Real Bookstore & Art Gallery
Las Cruces, NM
Angel Peña
Co-Owner
Out Back A’Horse Back
Radium Springs, NM
Mollie McGraw, Esq.
Las Cruces, NM
Kenneth J. Ferrone
Executive Director
Catholic Charities of Southern New Mexico, Las Cruces, NM
CC: U.S. Senator Tom Udall (NM)
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (NM)
U.S. Representative Steve Pearce (NM)
U.S. Representative Ben Ray Lujan (NM)
U.S. Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM)
City of Las Cruces City Council
