SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the following in response to President Donald Trump’s national address Tuesday:
“The president’s wall is an outdated, ineffectual idea that should never, ever come to fruition, and meaningful border security investments should be on the table. But his predilection for throwing a tantrum in place of actually negotiating a solution should surprise no one at this point. His federal shutdown is needlessly harming our Native American communities, our families and thousands of hard-working federal professionals in this state and beyond.
“Two migrant children recently died in federal custody in this state. Two bright futures. Two families forever changed. The federal government must be proactive in caring for and recognizing the dire needs of the children and families who come to us from unimaginable hardship and through life-threatening conditions seeking a better future.
“I will be visiting our state’s southern border on Friday. In the meantime, I call on Congress to investigate the circumstances of these unconscionable deaths, and I call on the president to end his unnecessary shutdown immediately. The health and safety of vulnerable children is and will always be more important than the empty and offensive symbolism of a wall.”