Udall: N.M. Receives $10 Million in Homeland Security Grants

State, southern counties will receive funding for border security and emergency preparedness

LAS CRUCES, N.M. ­- U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) announced today that the state of New Mexico and five counties will receive a combined $10 million in border security and emergency preparedness funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP). Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Otero counties will share $3,146,501 through a program called Operation Stonegarden, while the state of New Mexico will receive $3,459,364 through the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and an additional $3,801,166 through the Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) Program.

"This funding is excellent news for New Mexico law enforcement agencies and will allow our state, local governments, and DHS to build on the progress they've made to improve border security," said Udall, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee which allocates funding to federal agencies like DHS. "We must be vigilant in protecting our citizens from terrorism and preparing our communities for emergencies and natural disasters, and I will continue making sure we are providing resources for border states like New Mexico that have unique challenges."

Beginning today, Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Otero counties will be allocated a total of $3,146,501 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. For more information on the Operation Stonegarden program, click here . A complete breakdown by county is included here:

Doña Ana County - $936,747
Grant County - $245,638
Hidalgo County - $813,767
Luna County - $950,349
Otero County - $200,000

In an additional grant, the state of New Mexico will receive $3,459,364 through the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) for the fiscal year 2013. This funding supports the implementation of state homeland security strategies to help New Mexico prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other catastrophic events. For more information on the SHSP, click here .

Finally, the state will receive $3,801,166 through the Emergency Management Performance Grants Program (EMPG). This funding assists state, local, and tribal governments in providing a system of emergency preparedness for the protection of life and property in the United States from hazards, including natural disaster hazards. For more information on the EMPG, click here .

All three grant programs are administered through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Federal Emergency Management Agency's collective Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP). According to DHS, the program plays an important role in the implementation of the National Preparedness System by supporting the building, sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient Nation. For more information on the National Preparedness System, visit http://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness-system