New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took one on the metaphorical chin on Wednesday when a federal court granted a collection of concerned gun owners and 2A groups a temporary restraining order against her total ban on lawful firearms carry.
Grisham, a Democrat who has long embraced anti-gun policies and advocates, last week announced her 30-day (for starters) pause on lawful concealed and lawful carry across Bernalillo County and Albuquerque. Hit by numerous lawsuits and abandoned by fellow Dems including New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, the governor on Sept. 13 was enjoined by a federal court from enforcing her ban.
U.S. District Court Judge David Urias, when issuing the 12-page TRO in the combined cases, explained "Although the State of New Mexico raises important safety concerns, at this stage it fails to demonstrate that the public safety concerns overcome the public’s interest in preventing constitutional violations."
The case was brought by local gun owners joined by the Firearms Policy Coalition, Gun Owners of America, the National Association of Gun Rights, the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association, and the Second Amendment Foundation.
"We are delighted that the court wasted no time in clamping down on Gov. Lujan Grisham’s clearly unconstitutional suspension of Second Amendment rights,” SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb told Guns.com in an email late Wednesday. "No governor has the authority to arbitrarily deny constitutional rights, especially on the flimsy argument this is a public health emergency."
The court's restraining order freezes the ban until at least Oct. 3, when a hearing on the preliminary injunction request will be held. The pro-gun groups are confident in the merits of their case.
"It should be no surprise that Governor Grisham’s order was subjected to a temporary restraining order," said Adam Kraut, SAF’s Executive Director. "The order was so patently unconstitutional, even gun control advocates have been distancing themselves from her actions. We look forward to prevailing in this case as it continues."
Banner image: FN 509 Compact in 9mm. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
