Gov. Lujan Grisham seeks federal reimbursement for assisting migrants

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is traveling to Washington, D.C., to press for more federal resources to cope with an influx of asylum seekers at the U.S. border with Mexico. Lujan Grisham spokesman Tripp Stelnicki said the governor was departing Tuesday for a scheduled face-to-face meeting this week with acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan. Stelnicki said the governor will advocate for federal reimbursements to local communities as they provide humanitarian relief to migrant families. Lujan Grisham also wants to discuss the U.S. Border Patrol's withdrawal from interior checkpoints in southern New Mexico that has riled local residents. Gov. Lujan Grisham says the state is creating a grant program to reimburse local government agencies that provide humanitarian aid to migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. She announced the grant application process in a letter to Republican lawmakers who have criticized her response to an influx of migrants. Lujan Grisham says it's her role to arrange support for aid groups while she seeks assistance from the federal government...MORE