ALBUQUERQUE, NM---Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas sent a letter to faith leaders in all religious communities in New Mexico, urging them to come together with the Office of the Attorney General to discuss hate motivated violence against religious communities. Here is a statement from the AG's office:
The call to action comes in the wake of multiple violent incidents across the United States that targeted people based on their faith and in their places of worship.
“There is no place for violence in New Mexico, let alone violence perpetrated against someone for who they are or what they believe,” said Attorney General Balderas. “My office will work with leaders in our faith communities to ensure that New Mexicans are protected from those who would harm them for their beliefs.”
The Office of the Attorney General has drafted a anti-domestic terrorism and hate crime legislative package that has been sent to Governor Lujan Grisham and legislative leaders for consideration in the upcoming 2020 session. Under these proposals, New Mexico’s laws would be strengthened to better define hate motivated crimes, to bring our anti-domestic terrorism act to cover the modern realities of domestic terrorism in the 21st century, and to increase resources in the Office of the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and domestic terrorism.
The purpose of today’s call to action from Attorney General Balderas is to ensure that members of New Mexico’s faith communities have a voice in the legislative process and to ensure their communities are heard on these critical issues. The Attorney General will meet with leaders in the coming weeks leading up to or during the legislative session.