Udall, Heinrich Announce More Than $10 Million in Homeland Security Grants

State, five Southern NM counties will receive funding for emergency preparedness and border security

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that the state of New Mexico, along with Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Otero counties, will receive more than $10 million combined for border security and emergency preparedness. The funding comes from various U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant programs.

"Border states like New Mexico are on the front lines when it comes to homeland security, and this funding will help our law enforcement agencies and first responders coordinate and get the training they need to respond to potential threats," Udall said.

"As New Mexico continues to recover from devastating floods and wildfires and face the unique challenges that being a border state presents, this grant funding will help prepare for the future," Heinrich said. "These investments strengthen border security and help ensure our local, tribal, and border communities are prepared for any number of emergencies."

The state of New Mexico will receive $3,734,500 through the State Homeland Security Program to help implement the National Preparedness System. The National Preparedness System is a six-part process that the Federal Emergency Management Agency encourages communities to use to prepare for disasters. The state will also receive $3,981,883 through the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program to help enhance and sustain New Mexico's ability to respond to emergencies, including terrorism and natural disasters. The funding may be used for planning, training, exercises, assessments, outreach and education, alert and warning system management, and other preparedness activities to support the state's capability to respond to disasters.

Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Otero counties will receive a total of $3 million through Operation Stonegarden, a Homeland Security grant program that provides funding to enhance coordination among local, tribal, territorial, state and federal law enforcement agencies to secure the United States' international borders.

A breakdown of Operation Stonegarden funding by county follows:

Doña Ana County - $849,029
Grant County - $250,000
Hidalgo County - $750,000
Luna County - $950,971
Otero County - $200,000

In an additional grant, New Mexico Texas Coaches will receive $40,762 through the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program to strengthen security on their Southeast New Mexico bus routes. New Mexico Texas Coaches helps workers get to their jobs at high-security federal installations, including the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.