Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cleared waivers allowing for 36 more miles of border wall construction in Arizona and New Mexico.

The waivers curb environmental regulations that the construction would be subjected to legally build more quickly. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement that "DHS has been working at a neck-breaking speed to secure our border" and remove "criminal illegal aliens out of our country."

The waivers cover several projects, including filling gaps in the Yuma Sector and making developments on the wall in the El Paso Sector, according to a news release. In addition, 24 miles will be part of the Tucson Sonoita Project. 

REPUBLICAN AGS VISIT US-MEXICO BORDER WALL AS TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' CLEARS EXPANSION FUNDING

These projects already had funds allocated in 2020-21 appropriations for Customs and Border Protection, the release from CBP added.

"Today's news is welcome here in Yuma, Arizona, where our community is still grappling with the consequences of the Biden-Harris Administration's four years of open-border policies," Jonathan Lines, a Yuma County Supervisor and Chairman of the Border Security Alliance, stated.

"We applaud President Trump's commitment to border security, and we look forward to the completion of the wall across the entire southern border. The border crisis is not yet over, and our federal government must continue to equip the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents with the tools, technologies, and resources necessary to provide adequate national security to keep America safe," Lines added.

TRUMP ADMIN SHARES BORDER PLANS FOR 2025 AND BEYOND: 'AS MUCH WALL AS WE NEED'

Another waiver was granted in April to build more of the wall in California. With only a few small exceptions, border wall construction was largely halted during the Biden administration as millions of people crossed illegally, including through gaps. The gaps between barriers are also known to be used for cartel activity.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"Our border has never been safer or more secure, and we have the Trump Administration to thank for that," Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Finishing the wall is exactly what Arizonans voted for, and I’m pleased Secretary Noem is quickly carrying out President Trump’s mission to protect our citizens and strengthen our national security. Sanity and the rule of law are being restored in our nation."

Critics of further wall construction have largely cited environmental concerns.

BORDER COMMUNITY REVEALS WHAT TRUMP ADMIN STILL NEEDS TO ACCOMPLISH AS CRISIS CALMS DOWN: 'UNDUE BURDENS'

"Waiving environmental, cultural preservation, and good governance laws that protect clean air and clean water, safeguard precious cultural resources, and preserve vibrant ecosystems and biodiversity will only cause further harm to border communities and ecosystems," Earthjustice Associate Legislative Representative Cameron Walkup said in a statement in April after the California waiver. 

"Rather than rushing to spend tens of billions of dollars to help President Trump build even more wasteful border wall through a budget reconciliation package, Congress should focus on rescinding these waivers and remediating the significant damage that has already been caused by the wall," Walkup added.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has put forth legislation amending the International Bridge Act of 1972 that would ​​expedite the presidential permitting process for all international bridges and land ports of entry.

The bipartisan bill from Cruz and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., will expand on legislation previously written by Cruz and passed into law that streamlined permits for international bridges in Eagle Pass, Laredo and Brownsville.

The new bill will streamline all permits for international bridges and ports of entry for Mexico and Canada.

TED CRUZ MOCKS ‘CRAZY TOWN’ DEMS, AS MARYLAND SENATOR GETS DEFENSIVE ABOUT ADVOCACY FOR ALLEGED MS-13 MEMBER

In a news release, Cruz discussed how this new bill has been a top priority for him.

"This bill builds on and expands our success in securing presidential permits for four major international bridge projects in South Texas by streamlining the approval process for all future international bridges along the Texas–Mexico border," Cruz said in a news release.

Cruz strongly urged his colleagues "to pass this bill so it can be sent to the President for signature."

BIPARTISAN SENATE BILL TARGETS BORDER HUMAN, DRUG TRAFFICKING WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Lujan said in a news release that he was proud to introduce bipartisan legislation that would deliver real investments to New Mexico.

"Ports of entry and international bridges are vital to the economic success of our border communities, supporting trade, business, and tourism," Lujan said. "Yet, new border crossings are too often held up by the presidential permit process."

Dr. Victor Treviño, Mayor of the City of Laredo, thanked both senators for putting this bipartisan bill together that strengthens the northern and southern border.

"This bill marks a critical step toward modernizing the development and expansion of cross-border infrastructure by bringing much-needed efficiency and predictability to the presidential permitting process—an essential reform for communities like Laredo, which continues to be on the front lines of international commerce as the #1 Port of Entry in the United States," Trevino said in a news release.

Trevino also urged Congress to pass this bill so that President Donald Trump can sign it.

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The bill also includes a bar on future administrations from considering environmental documents, including documents created as part of the National Environmental Policy Act.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Cruz’s office for comment.

Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., touted his vote against the Laken Riley Act and bashed President Donald Trump's administration at an April event, saying deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia, along with other illegal immigrants, is "testing and stretching the fabric of our democracy to a place we have never seen before." 

In his speech, Vasquez claimed some said it would take "courage" to vote against the Laken Riley Act, to which the Democratic congressman exclaimed, "I did. I voted against [the bill]," leading the audience to cheer. "Because due process is a fundamental part of who we are as Americans," he continued.

The Laken Riley Act, which was signed into law by Trump on Jan. 29, was introduced after an illegal immigrant brutally murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley while she was jogging in Athens, Georgia, in February 2024. The law established that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must detain illegal migrants if they are arrested or charged with a violent crime.

CHANCE OF LAKEN RILEY'S ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KILLER DOING TIME IN EL SALVADOR PRISON ADDRESSED BY LAWMAKERS

Just a month after the Laken Riley Act was signed into law, Secretary Kristi Noem and DHS announced a "627% increase in monthly arrests compared to just 33,000 at-large arrests under Biden for ALL of last year."

Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose district contains the longest stretch of U.S. land neighboring Mexico, defended the bipartisan bill in a statement to Fox News Digital Friday. 

Gonzales explained that border security is "a real and lasting issue as a result of four years of inaction under President Biden. That’s why Americans voted for safer communities and to restore law and order and President Trump is delivering on that promise with legislation like the Laken Riley Act and much more that is coming down the pike."

Vasquez went on to bash the Trump administration for deporting illegal migrants, including Abrego Garcia, claiming U.S. citizens aren’t safe from being removed from the country if the Trump administration gets "their way." 

"Time and time again, out-of-touch Democrat Gabe Vasquez chooses to prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the well-being of hardworking New Mexicans," National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Zach Bannon told Fox News Digital. "He’s completely abandoned common sense, pandering to the radical left while betraying the very people who will vote him out of office next year." 

DEMS RIDICULED FOR GOING ‘ALL IN’ ON SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA 

Abrego Garcia, who has been the focus of Democratic talking points criticizing Trump's immigration policies, was one of many illegal immigrants who were deported to the El Salvadorian "Terrorism Confinement Center" (CECOT) in March. 

It was most recently revealed that the 29-year-old illegal migrant and suspected member of the violent MS-13 gang was pulled over while driving an SUV that belonged to another illegal immigrant who confessed to human smuggling in 2020. 

While the Trump administration has maintained their position on Abrego Garcia’s gang ties and history of violence, a federal judge and even the U.S. Supreme Court have ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate his return. Abrego Garcia had been living in Maryland with his family prior to being sent to El Salvador, on the grounds that his removal to the country was unjustified. 

TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS FILE CHARGES AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AFTER FOX NEWS EXPOSES EARLY RELEASE PLANS

Some Republicans have pushed back at the decision to double down on Abrego Garcia's stay in El Salvador, including Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, who said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that Abrego Garcia's deportation was a "screw up." 

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis gave the DOJ a week's extension to provide explanation, documentation and testimony defending the decision to deport Abrego Garcia.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Vasquez's office for comment.

Military members stationed in and around portions of the southern border have been given the authority to temporarily detain and search illegal migrants. 

Service members with the Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB) are now authorized to conduct several security measures in the New Mexico National Defense Area (NMNDA), U.S. Northern Command said Monday. The NMNDA is part of the U.S. Army's Fort Huachuca military installation.

The move allows the U.S. military to serve in a more active law enforcement role than in years past. Military personnel have typically been prevented from participating in civilian law enforcement activities such as search, seizure, or arrest.

NAVY DEPLOYS ANOTHER HOUTHI-FIGHTING WARSHIP TO NEW US SOUTHERN BORDER MISSION 

As part of their new duties, the service members can search and temporarily detain trespassers on the NMNDA, as well as provide medical care and implement crowd control measures, until appropriate law enforcement can take them into custody.

Task force members can also assist with the installation of temporary barriers, signage, and fencing upon request. 

"Through these enhanced authorities, U.S. Northern Command will ensure those who illegally trespass in the New Mexico National Defense Area are handed over to Customs and Border Protection or our other law enforcement partners," said USNORTHCOM Gen. Gregory Guillot. "Joint Task Force-Southern Border will conduct enhanced detection and monitoring, which will include vehicle and foot patrols, rotary wing, and fixed surveillance site operations."

USNORTHCOM was named as the Defense Department's operational lead for the employment of U.S. military forces to carry out President Donald Trump’s southern border executive orders. 

TRUMP ORDERS MILITARY TO TAKE CONTROL OF FEDERAL LAND AT SOUTHERN BORDER

Last week, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum visited New Mexico to announce that the Army will take control of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border as part of the Trump administration's efforts to curb illegal immigration and trafficking.

The 109,651 acres of federal land will be transferred to the Army for three years, subject to valid existing rights.

The switch in jurisdiction will allow the government to protect sensitive natural and cultural resources in the region, while helping the Army support U.S. Border Patrol operations in securing the border and preventing illegal immigration, according to the Department of the Interior.

In March, the Defense Department authorized the military to patrol the southern border to provide "enhanced detection and monitoring" to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

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"Any law enforcement actions to apprehend individuals suspected of illegal entry must be conducted only by non-DoD law enforcement personnel and National Guard personnel in a non-federalized status accompanying these patrols," the DOD said at the time. 

Fox News Digital's Alexandra Koch contributed to this report. 

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum visited New Mexico on Tuesday to announce the U.S. Army will take control of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border, the latest attempt to curb illegal immigration and trafficking.

The 109,651 acres of federal land will be transferred to the Army for three years, subject to valid existing rights, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The move comes after President Donald Trump last week signed a memorandum, "Military Mission for Sealing the Southern Border of the United States and Repelling Invasions," directing the secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture and Homeland Security to take control of federal lands "reasonably necessary to enable military activities."

The switch in jurisdiction will allow the government to protect sensitive natural and cultural resources in the region, while helping the Army support U.S. Border Patrol operations in securing the border and preventing illegal immigration, according to the Department of the Interior.

NAVY DEPLOYS ANOTHER HOUTHI-FIGHTING WARSHIP TO NEW US SOUTHERN BORDER MISSION 

"Securing our border and protecting our nation’s resources go hand in hand," Burgum said in the statement. "The American people gave President Trump a mandate to make America safe and strong again."

Burgum said the change reflects Interior’s commitment to public safety, national security and responsible stewardship of public lands.

TRUMP ORDERS MILITARY TO TAKE CONTROL OF FEDERAL LAND AT SOUTHERN BORDER

The Army requested the transfer on "an emergency basis," so they could increase regular patrols by federal personnel.

Trump declared a national emergency earlier this year along the southern border.

The Army will also be able to build infrastructure to prevent illegal immigrants, human traffickers and narcotics from crossing the border.

The department noted the crisis along the border is not limited to national security and law enforcement concerns, but also "presents an environmental crisis."

Nearly two dozen federally endangered species live in the region, which was previously managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

The region also contains cultural sites that range from small artifact scatters to large multiroom pueblos, which could be harmed by repeated foot traffic, unregulated vehicle use and the creation of informal trails or camps, according to the statement. 

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High-traffic illegal crossings could lead to soil erosion, damage to fragile desert vegetation and critical wildlife habitat, loss and damage to cultural resources, increased fire risk and pollution from trash and human waste.  

The department acknowledged some of the land transferred to the Army is essential to the livelihoods of local communities and said the Bureau of Land Management will work with the Army to ensure "some" uses will continue to support local grazing and mining.

A New Mexico high school baseball player was arrested, and his team suspended over allegations the teen urinated in an opposing team’s water jug.

The 16-year-old, who attends Rio Rancho High School and played on the junior varsity, faced 15 counts of battery over the incident.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"We're glad authorities in Rio Rancho took this matter seriously and filed criminal charges," Albuquerque Public Schools said in a statement, via KOAT-TV. "Outrageous behavior like this must be met with swift consequences to send the message that it's unacceptable and will not be tolerated. 

"A vast majority of athletes, coaches and parents at schools in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and throughout New Mexico abide by good sportsmanship, and we're confident this unfortunate incident is an aberration."

MARINERS' VICTOR ROBLES FRACTURES SHOULDER AFTER SLAMMING INTO WALL DURING HIGHLIGHT-REEL CATCH

The Rio Rancho Police Department launched an investigation into the allegations after rumors swirled about the alleged March 25 incident within the La Cueva High School community. Several La Cueva High School players may have drank from the allegedly contaminated water jug.

The entire Rio Rancho junior varsity baseball team was suspended in the midst of the probe.

"We want to make it clear that the alleged behavior is abhorrent and does not represent the standards and values expected of all students who attend Rio Rancho Public Schools," Rio Rancho Public Schools interim executive communications director Wyndham Kemsley said in a statement to the Rio Rancho Observer.

"If determined to be true, the discipline for all those involved will be severe."

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EXCLUSIVE: Seventeen Department of Energy National Laboratories represent the legacy of American scientific research, development and technological innovation stemming from collective postwar investment – but in the decades since, some of their work has been stymied by ever-increasing regulation, the U.S. energy chief tells Fox News Digital.

In an interview Wednesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he took what lab officials told him was the rare step of meeting with all 17 to find out what they needed to be most effective in their work. When he came back to Washington, Wright compiled an order implementing the most common fixes laboratory leaders asked for.

Wright quipped that "as a kid who was in love with physics in high school, the national labs are simply scientifically tremendous" and that they had been neglected by past energy secretaries – which led him to make them an early focus of his tenure.

In an order obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, Wright demanded several actions by lab officials seeking to streamline what has been considered a burdensome permitting process for new lab buildings, as the postwar infrastructure in many have well served their purpose, he said, but must be more easily replaced. 

ENERGY SEC WRIGHT OUTLINES DAY-1 PRIORITIES: REFILLING SPR, NIXING BIDENESQUE APPLIANCE RULES, NUKE UPDATES

One effort will expand the use of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) "OSHA-Plus" framework for subcontracted construction projects at the National Laboratories, increasing competition for contracts and reducing costs while not sacrificing safety.

Another topline piece of the four-part order seeks to analyze risks and benefits to cutting some labor-agreement provisions from contracts. The order was dated the 21st but will be made public midday Friday.

"These measures are representative of focused and purposeful actions to prudently streamline our processes, place decision-making authority at the appropriate level, and reduce unnecessary administrative burden on both the laboratories and federal stewards to more efficiently and effectively enable critical mission objectives," Wright said in the order.

Wright said that while many of the labs may not be known by name, Americans recognize their immense contributions to science and national security.

Los Alamos, in New Mexico, was where J. Robert Oppenheimer developed and tested the atomic bomb. Oak Ridge in Tennessee is the nation’s premier energy technology development incubator.

"They are the biggest factories for producing Nobel prizes on the planet. These are national gems, and they came out of World War II," he said, adding that bureaucracy has stifled some of their luster. 

"If something went wrong, they have a new rule passed; there’s people’s pet issues; or they’re layered with DEI and cultural stuff; crazy safety regulations with impossible permitting. 

CHRIS WRIGHT CONFIRMED SECRETARY OF ENERGY

"So what we've done is we've taken these great laboratories of science and innovation, and we've shackled them with bureaucracy and inefficiency – those don’t go together."

Wright recounted a top issue from his meetings with laboratory leaders, who collectively said it can cost them 60% more to build or purchase a building than it does standard businesses located even just across the street.

Dr. Steven Ashby, director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, lauded the order, saying Wright's "bold action to empower the national laboratories to more efficiently deliver transformative scientific and technological outcomes" will benefit American taxpayers. 

"This is the most substantive and quickest change in improving lab operations that I have seen in my many years with DOE."

The secretary underlined that additional regulations that may increase costs are wise for Energy Department installations that deal with plutonium pits or dangerous or sensitive technologies – but that an environmental or energy-production-focused laboratory shouldn’t be held to the same standard as others.

"We said you no longer have to pay more. For all other buildings that are in all senses commercial facilities, we're going to get rid of that bureaucracy and make buildings able to be built faster and built simpler," he said.

Labs have been weighed down by an additional set of safety regulations on top of OSHA, which itself is considered the gold standard – and when the labs seek contracts, they don’t get the highest quality bidders because the contractors don’t want to deal with unnecessary, additional red tape.

"You get a small number of bidders that are willing to go into a much more cumbersome regime, means it can be more expensive to build that building," Wright said.

These orders and changes, he said, are directly in line with President Donald Trump’s overall effort to streamline government and make it more cost-efficient for the taxpayer.

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Separate from the labs, but near the Oak Ridge installation, Wright also spoke of a building he visited at the Y-12 National Security complex so decrepit that part of its roof was falling in.

The facility, outside Knoxville, was built around 1943 in under 18 months, Wright said – comparing that efficiency to today’s as an aside.

"It is in that building that the majority of the enriched uranium you need to build a bomb, was produced in these Calutron machines. So this played a huge legacy role in the United States’ weapons program. Here we are 80 years later, it is still in operation and still a key part of our nuclear fabrication facilities," he said.

A New Mexico lawmaker whose son was murdered by a juvenile expressed outrage this week after her criminal justice bill was tanked in favor of what some on the right are calling a "homicide scholarship" program.

State Rep. Nicole Chavez of Albuquerque said Thursday she is "sickened" by the developments.

"New Mexico Democrats voted to hand offenders like my son’s killer $2,000 a month—some twisted reward for shattering my family," Chavez said of the "homicide scholarship" moniker first dubbed by state Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, earlier this month.

That bill would provide a monthly stipend for certain former convicts under the age of 26 seeking educational opportunities or other ways to get on the proverbial straight-and-narrow, according to multiple reports.

Per the text of the bill, it would provide money for the Juvenile Community Connections Fund to be used toward programs providing services for adjudicated delinquents and youth, and establish a panel to determine the next steps for a convict released from a juvenile facility.

"I sponsored HB 134 to deliver justice and accountability, but they refused to come to the table," Chavez said of her original bill.

Chavez's bill, which had the support of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, was effectively tanked by Democrats in the House – reportedly including some originally warm to it.

HB 134 sought to update 1970's-era New Mexico laws outlining the criminal justice process for juveniles, including moving some violent crimes like first-degree murder for younger teen suspects to adult court.

NM LAWMAKERS CLAIM SWEEPING GUN CONTROL BILL IS ‘DEMS DISARMING US’

Lujan Grisham and a handful of Democratic prosecutors supported the bill, according to the Piñon Post, but four Democrats in the Consumer & Public Affairs Committee successfully tabled the bill, which has yet to see further movement as the session winds down.

"This is not progress—it is a knife in the heart of every parent who has buried a child," Chavez said Thursday. "New Mexico Democrats have turned their backs on victims and their families, choosing instead to reward the very criminals who destroyed our lives."

Instead, the purported "homicide scholarship" bill was given a reading and passed by the House earlier this month.

Montoya told the Santa Fe New Mexican the new bill, HB 255, is "a perfect example of how progressives think about crime, that the individual doesn’t need to be held responsible for their actions – [in that they] need to be coddled, that they’re somehow a victim themselves, and we need to make sure that they have an opportunity, and we need to do everything we can to rehabilitate them even when it means we do more for them than the victims."

Lujan Grisham did not respond to requests for comment on the latter bill.

NM TEENS 13 & 15 CHARGED WITH MURDER

The governor approved a criminal justice package earlier this month that reportedly targeted fentanyl trafficking in the border state and dealt with suspects deemed mentally unfit for trial and grand theft auto penalties.

However, she was also lambasted by Republicans for supporting what conservatives called one of the strictest pieces of gun control legislation last week. Meanwhile, another top House Republican called the "homicide scholarship" bill "another betrayal to New Mexicans."

"Democrats have forced through legislation that gives juvenile murderers $2,000 monthly scholarships, funded by the sweat of hardworking taxpayers. This isn’t compassion—it’s a perverse reward for bloodshed, a signal to every thug that crime pays in this state," said Rep. Stefani Lord of Sandia Park.

Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, added that "Homicide Scholarships should alarm every New Mexican who fears for their safety," and that the signal sent by the bill is that "crime truly pays."

"Instead of passing common-sense legislation [from Chavez] … they are playing political games at the expense of victims and taxpayers," Reeb said, while Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, added that in the Land of Enchantment, "victims get ignored; thugs get pampered."

Fox News Digital reached out for a response from Senate President Pro-Tem Mimi Stewart and House Speaker Javier Martinez, both Albuquerque Democrats.

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House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski, D-Santa Fe, also did not respond by press time.

One Democrat, Rep. Andrea Romero of Santa Fe, spoke to the Albuquerque Journal about her opposition to Chavez’ bill, saying that "we’re talking about detaining and committing children." An Albuquerque prosecutor also cited a 57% increase in juvenile crime in a one-year period through 2023.

Lujan Grisham told the paper that she will continue to urge lawmakers to "answer the call" on juvenile justice reform.

The El Paso sector of the southwest border has become the busiest in the country as overall encounters at the border continue to freefall.

The El Paso sector, which extends from Hudspeth County, Texas, to the New Mexico-Arizona state line, became the busiest sector on the southwest border in February, with the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data showing it recorded 2,110 encounters last month.

Overall, CBP data shows 8,347 encounters at the southwest border in February, a stunning 94.1% drop from the same month last year, when 124,215 encounters were recorded.

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While the El Paso sector took the crown for the busiest, the just over 2,000 encounters for the area still represented a significant year-over-year drop from the numbers recorded during February of last year, when the sector had 23,919 encounters. The February numbers in El Paso also represented a drop from last month, with the sector recording 4,870 encounters in January 2025.

El Paso replaced the San Diego sector as the busiest on the southwest border in February, with San Diego recording just 1,650 encounters last month, a decline of 94.8% from the year before. The numbers for San Diego were also a dramatic drop from those recorded just last month, when the sector recorded 6,390 encounters.

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CBP has nine sectors on the southwest border from the coast of California extending east to Texas and the Gulf of America. Multiple sectors along the border recorded under 200 total encounters in February, including the El Centro sector in the Imperial Valley of California and the Big Bend sector of West Texas.

The El Centro sector recorded the fewest encounters in February, with CBP data showing just 102, a 91.6% reduction from the same time last year. The Big Ben sector wasn’t far behind, recording just 165 encounters in February, marking a 71% drop from the same month last year.

New Mexico Republicans are warning the likely passage of a semiautomatic firearms prohibition law in Santa Fe will turn law-abiding citizens into potential criminals, citing the types of guns targeted and a new registry provision.

The Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion Act, or SB 279, will prohibit the import, sale and possession of such guns, as well as "large-capacity ammunition-feeding devices," in the Land of Enchantment – and require certification of semi-auto weapons and "providing penalties."

A source familiar with the legislation also said the focus on gas-operated firearms allows proponents to target the AR-15 without naming it. The source added that "gas power" appeared intended to suggest added lethality when in reality it refers to the use of spent gas from a casing to reset the gun’s bolt for the next firing.

One of the most vocal opponents of the bill told Fox News Digital that the bill is the hallmark of the "radical agenda of New Mexico Democrats" and that the left is "ignoring practical realities and constitutional protections given to all of us."

NEW MEXICO ADULT DIES OF MEASLES AMID OUTBREAK

State Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, said the bill slaps a ban on typical magazines and arms already owned by many New Mexicans and that Democrats, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, are trying to "trample the Second Amendment under the guise of public safety."

"The ambiguous wording of the bill risks turning law-abiding gun owners into felons overnight," Lord said. "It is clear this isn't just about safety – it's about control, driven by a liberal tide that's swept through Santa Fe with unprecedented force in 2025."

The governor, however, defended the bill, telling Fox News Digital it is not an attack on Second Amendment rights but a responsible move to protect the populace.

"It simply regulates the most dangerous firearms and accessories that are disproportionately used in mass shootings," Lujan Grisham said.

"The vast majority of handguns – what the Supreme Court has called the 'quintessential self-defense weapon' – aren't regulated under this act. Current owners can keep their regulated gas-operated semiautomatic firearms and large-capacity magazines by filing a simple form with local dealers – not a 'gun registry' as critics have falsely claimed."

Lujan Grisham added that other laws around the country similar to the one matriculating through the Roundhouse in Santa Fe have been upheld by judges of all political inclinations.

NM, AZ, CA UNITED AGAINST TRUMP DEPORTING DREAMERS, OFFICIAL SAYS

"We are confident this legislation is likewise constitutional and necessary to protect New Mexicans," she said.

State Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, was unconvinced.

Block said the gun control bill is par for the course in what he called the "most liberal legislative session this state has ever seen."

"This ban on gas-operated semiautomatic firearms is wrapped in vague language that hands unelected officials way too much power to decide which guns get outlawed," he said.

Block, who, along with Lord, unsuccessfully sought to impeach Lujan Grisham in 2024 when she enacted a temporary public health order restricting open carrying of firearms after a spate of Albuquerque gun violence, said the bill reminds him of that situation.

"It is clear [Democrats] are dead-set on disarming all New Mexicans," Block said.

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Matthew Mammoser, an official with the National Association for Gun Rights, posted a video last week of himself delivering several Xerox-type boxes he said were full of "thousands" of petitions from New Mexicans opposed to the bill.

Meanwhile, New Mexico House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Socorro, said her caucus was and is open to working with Democrats on "real solutions" to gun violence and other concerns the bill seeks to address.

"This session, rather than take violent offenders off our streets, address our healthcare shortage and work on the unaffordability crisis our state is facing, Democrats have opted to pursue a radical agenda at the expense of our constitutional rights," she said.

Fox News Digital reached out for comment from the bill’s top-listed sponsor, state Sen. Micaelita O’Malley, D-Bernalillo, but did not receive a reply by press time. 

Former Interior Sec. Deb Haaland has announced a New Mexico gubernatorial bid.

The politician, who served in a cabinet post during most of former President Joe Biden's White House tenure, previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

"But the problems we face now are bigger than ever, and we must be fierce to solve them. That's why I am running for governor of the great state of New Mexico," she said in a video.

STRANGE LAWS IN NEW MEXICO, INCLUDING TROUBLE FOR TRIPPING A HORSE

"New Mexico is rich in tradition and spirit, rich in natural resources. So why can't our families pay our bills? Crime, poverty, homelessness, addiction — they will keep pulling us down if we do the same things and expect a different result," she declared.

Last month on Jan. 20 — the day President Donald Trump was inaugurated — Haaland suggested in a post on X that the new administration does not care about "regular people."

VIDEO CAPTURES COURTROOM BRAWL AS TWO MEN ATTACK MURDER SUSPECT DURING HEARING

"With the inauguration of President Trump, there’s a lot at stake. He surrounds himself with super-rich people who look down on us and our communities. We will need to do the hard work of getting important things done and pushing back against an administration that couldn’t care less about regular people," Haaland tweeted.

Current New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who has served as governor since 2019, is not eligible to run in 2026.

2028 WATCH: HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY EVENTUALLY JUMP INTO THE NEXT WHITE HOUSE RACE

The state went to Democrats in the 2008 through 2024 presidential elections. But its prior governor, Susana Martinez, was a Republican.

Fred Harris, a self-described populist Democrat from Oklahoma who served eight years in the U.S. Senate before an unsuccessful campaign for president in 1976, has died. He was 94.

Harris’ wife, Margaret Elliston, confirmed his death to the Associated Press in a text message on Saturday, writing: "Fred Harris passed peacefully early this morning of natural causes. He was 94. He was a wonderful and beloved man. His memory is a blessing."

Harris, who was living in New Mexico, died in a hospital in Albuquerque, Elliston told The New York Times.

Harris first served for eight years in the Oklahoma State Senate after winning election in 1956. He then launched his career in national politics in 1964 when he won a Senate race to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Robert S. Kerr, who died in January 1963.

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"I’ve always called myself a populist or progressive," Harris said in a 1998 interview. "I’m against concentrated power. I don’t like the power of money in politics. I think we ought to have programs for the middle class and working class."

As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, the so-called Kerner Commission, appointed by then-President Lyndon Johnson to investigate the urban riots of the late 1960s.

The commission released its report in 1968, declaring, "our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal."

Thirty years later, Harris co-wrote a report that concluded the commission’s "prophecy has come to pass," stating that "the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and minorities are suffering disproportionately."

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In 1976, Harris ran a failed bid to earn the Democratic presidential nomination, bowing out of the race after poor showings in early contests. The more moderate Jimmy Carter went on to win the presidency.

Harris moved to New Mexico that year and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. He wrote and edited more than a dozen books, mostly on politics and Congress. In 1999, he broadened his writings with a mystery set in Depression-era Oklahoma.

Harris was born Nov. 13, 1930, in a two-room farmhouse near Walters, in southwestern Oklahoma. The home had no electricity, indoor toilet or running water. He worked on the farm starting at age 5, driving a horse in circles to supply a hay bailer with power – earning 10 cents a day.

He later worked part-time as a janitor and printer’s assistant to help pay for his education at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a law degree in 1954. He practiced law in Lawton before beginning his career in politics.

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Harris married his high school sweetheart, LaDonna Vita Crawford, in 1949, and had three children, Kathryn, Byron and Laura. After the couple divorced, Harris married Margaret Elliston in 1983. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.