New Mexico County Declares Itself Second Amendment Sanctuary

By Ready to Fire News On Feb 18, 2019

A county government in New Mexico is using progressive tactics on immigration to its advantage to protect the Second Amendment rights of its residents.

Sanctuary city claims are not new; mayors and other politicians have been using them to aid illegal aliens and prevent the enforcement of immigration law in various locations across the nation. One county in New Mexico put a different spin on the sanctuary city – using the same procedure to protect gun owners.

Quay County, located in New Mexico, declared itself to be a Second Amendment Sanctuary County in January. The county is creating a safe haven for gun owners in response to a newly created and pending law that expands on the requirements for purchasing a gun.

HB 8, the legislation in question, would expand background checks for those wishing to purchase guns – even in transactions between private citizens. The New Mexico Sheriff’s Association already weighed in on the new law, calling it “unenforceable”. The new law would make it a crime to buy or sell a gun as a private citizen unless a federal background check was performed.

A second law is also looming on the horizon in New Mexico, and the Sanctuary County would also protect resident’s from this legislation. HB 83 is designed to allow for the seizure of firearms owned by private citizens. Those citizens would have to be seen as a risk to themselves or others, but there is no way to specify who is a risk and who is not — again, making it difficult to enforce. The New Mexico Sheriff’s Association also called the law problematic, since it poses an enhanced risk for those charged with enforcing it.

This county’s protest has already received support from New Mexico’s House Republicans.

“We see counties starting to fight back against the over-reach of House Democrats,” Rod Montoya (R-Farmington) said. “New Mexicans who are not even accused of a crime can lose their Second Amendment rights under this bill and that’s beyond wrong.”

Rachel Black (R-Alamogordo) agreed with Montoya.

“I agree with our sheriffs and our county commissions both of which are telling us these bills only harm law-abiding New Mexicans,” Black said.

Other counties in New Mexico have begun to follow suit. Both Curry and Union Counties passed similar resolutions, and Eddy County is poised vote on their own version of a sanctuary law next week. Each has cited the same reasons and motivations — to protect citizen’s rights and avoid endangering law enforcement top the list of reason’s to become a sanctuary county.

Both the NRA and the New Mexico Sheriff’s Association have spoken out against the restrictive new gun laws for New Mexico. While they have not yet become formal law in the state, they are expected to pass, making protections at the county level the only thing protecting the Second Amendment rights of New Mexico’s law abiding gun owners.

~ Ready to Fire News