On March 23, gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland visited southern New Mexico. As part of her visit, she toured New Mexico State University’s main campus and met with job creators in Santa Teresa.
“The opportunities the students have at the university right here in southern New Mexico gives them an opportunity to be a part of what’s happening here in Santa Theresa,” Haaland said.
The former secretary, joined by Speaker Javier Martinez, stressed the importance of both border security and humane immigration practices to maintain trade in the area.
“Many of [employees of Sunland Park] live on the other side of the border and that’s normal; that’s how we live here,” Martinez said. “This notion that Trump wants to mass deport everyone and all that chaos in D.C. – that’s never going to percolate down here to our communities because we’re better than that. And yes, we can do both. We can keep our communities safe and also be welcoming.”
While at NMSU, Haaland spoke with water researchers working on using alternative water supplies for irrigation. Professor Pei Xu said the researchers appreciate any support they can get from state and federal agencies, and expressed her excitement about the former secretary’s visit.
“We hope that we will have more opportunities to contribute our research, the science, the knowledge and advancement of technologies to support the state, economic development and the communities and public health because water security, energy security, [and] food security, are very important for everybody,” Xu said.
Patricia Sullivan, Interim Vice President for Research and Interim Director of the Physical Sciences Laboratory, spoke with Haaland about the history of the laboratory and its collaboration with White Sands Missile Range.
“We think it’s important for all elected officials and those seeking elected office to be aware of the physical science laboratory because of our support for economic development in southern New Mexico, specifically as it relates to national security,” Sullivan said. “So we are part of sSouthern New Mexico’s national security ecosystem, and we are a high wage employer in the region, and we’re looking to grow our footprint with the state.”
Haaland also received a tour of renovations to the autism center, nursing lab and STEM education lab, which give students the opportunity to have hands on experiences in their fields.
While praising NMSU for the opportunities it gives students, Haaland also emphasized the importance of trade schools as a way to reduce unemployment.
“Our goal would be, there’s enough work for everyone – let’s make sure that the New Mexicans have those jobs,” Haaland said.
