Posted August 7, 2025
Deb Haaland, candidate for New Mexico governor, participated in National Night Out events in Albuquerque on Tuesday, as part of her ongoing efforts to take on violent crime and make New Mexico communities safer. At an event in the International District, Haaland discussed increasing police officers on the beat, community policing and issues that contribute to crime in the area, including dark streets, lack of safe community spaces, and addiction. In the South Valley, Haaland heard from community members about property crime and increased ICE presence in the area.
“Every person in New Mexico deserves to live in a safe neighborhood, and that’s why I’m committed to keeping violent criminals behind bars while addressing the root causes of crime,” said Deb Haaland. “Tonight’s events showcase the power of New Mexicans coming together to build safe communities.”
As Deb Haaland prioritizes making New Mexico safer, she has focused on strategies to combat violent crime, including officer recruitment and training, community safety programs, ongoing partnerships with partnerships with local law enforcement. The August 5 National Night Out events come after Haaland held a roundtable with law enforcement and meet and greets with New Mexicans from across the state.
As Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Haaland led law enforcement agencies across the department and stood up a law enforcement task force that implemented the highest standards for protecting the public and provided necessary policy guidance, resources, and training to agency personnel. While in Congress, Deb delivered $350 billion for state and local governments and law enforcement agencies, including $2.5 billion in New Mexico through the American Rescue Plan. These funds helped keep police officers on the job during the pandemic and aided police departments in the state.
Deb Haaland is a 35th-generation New Mexican, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, a small businesswoman, a working mother who’s lived paycheck to paycheck, a former congresswoman, and for the past four years, the United States Secretary of the Interior.
Like many New Mexicans, Deb has faced challenges, like homelessness and financial insecurity. Deb helped pay for her child’s preschool by volunteering at the school for discounted tuition. She relied on food stamps to put food on the table and Planned Parenthood for essential care. But like so many New Mexicans, struggle made her fierce. Deb’s resilience enabled her to achieve over three decades of sobriety and build a remarkable career in public service.
Deb was confirmed as Secretary of the Interior with strong bipartisan support and is the first Native American cabinet secretary in our nation’s history. As Secretary, she led nearly 70,000 federal employees and worked tirelessly for New Mexicans, securing and supporting thousands of New Mexico jobs, historic local clean energy development, and overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in the state. She played a pivotal role in protecting 13.5 million acres of land in New Mexico, partnering with rural communities and Tribal Nations to preserve natural resources for fishing, ranching, recreation, and more. As someone who grew up in a rural community, Deb partnered with New Mexico’s rural towns and villages to secure clean water and address their biggest challenges.
While raising her child, Somah, as a single mom, Deb picked up catering gigs and ran her own small business producing and canning salsa. As a tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo and member of the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors, Deb successfully advocated for changes that supported small businesses while protecting our land and water. She wanted to make a difference for working New Mexicans like her and started to get involved in registering people to vote. In 2018, Deb made history as one of the first Native American women elected to Congress.
In Congress, Deb prioritized issues important to New Mexicans, including creating local clean energy jobs, securing billions for small businesses and restaurants during the pandemic, expanding access to broadband, addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, and protecting thousands of acres of New Mexico’s land. She was known for working across the aisle to deliver for New Mexico, securing more bipartisan cosponsors for her legislation than all House freshmen in 2019, and introducing six bills signed into law by President Donald Trump—among the most of any member of the House that Congress.
Growing up in a military family, Deb attended 13 public schools before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque. At age 28, she began her journey toward a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of New Mexico and later a J.D. from UNM Law School.
To learn more about Deb Haaland visit her campaign website at https://debhaaland.com.
- State Officials Consider Striking Soda From SNAP Grocery Lists - February 5, 2026
- Colorado Democrats Advance Bill To Allow Individuals To Sue ICE Agents - February 5, 2026
- Minnesota Teaches the White House Occupant Lessons in Courage and Civility - February 5, 2026
