US judge blocks suspension of right to carry guns in Albuquerque

HOUSTON - A US federal judge on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order against an executive order by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who suspended the right to carry firearms in public in the state’s largest city, Albuquerque, reported Xinhua.

At least five lawsuits have been filed in the federal court after the governor, a Democrat, on Friday issued the order for 30 days due to gun violence. All the plaintiffs argued that the order had violated the Second Amendment.

During a motion hearing on Wednesday afternoon in Albuquerque, District Court Judge David Herrera Urias blocked the order's implementation pending a final hearing scheduled for Oct 3.

Urias, appointed by President Joe Biden, agreed that gun violence is a serious issue in Albuquerque and doesn't blame the governor for her action "in the face of these terrible deaths".

However, he said he must decide a much more narrow question on the rights under the US Constitution, and it is in the public's best interest not to suspend civil rights, which includes the right to carry a gun.

"I refuse to be resigned to the status quo," Grisham said later on Wednesday. "As governor, I see the pain of families who had lost their loved ones to gun violence."

The governor cited the recent shootings, which killed three children, including an 11-year-old boy who died outside a minor league baseball park last week, in issuing the ban.

However, New Mexico Attorney-General Raul Torrez, a fellow Democrat, has said he will not defend the state in the lawsuits as he does not believe the order will have any meaningful impact on public safety, ABC News reported.

Grisham’s order had ignited the wrath of many state Republican lawmakers. Two GOP state representatives, John Block and Stefani Lord, are calling for the governor to be impeached over the order.

According to Grisham, gun violence is the leading cause of death for children, aged one to 19, in New Mexico. - BERNAMA-XINHUA