New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Michelle Lynn Lujan GrishamBiden pick creates furor, underscoring bitterness over Obama immigration policy Buttigieg, former officials added to Biden's transition team No documents? Hoping for legalization? Be wary of Joe Biden MORE (D) said she made the decision to pull National Guard troops from the southern border because there is no “real emergency.”



Grisham’s comments Sunday during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” come as President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE seeks funding for his long-desired wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump earlier this month declared a national emergency in an attempt to secure funding.

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“As everyone ought to be doing, I was on the border, and I’m looking and assessing whether or not there’s a real emergency or a crisis, and there isn’t,” Grisham said Sunday. “And the reality is these troops need to be available when there is a serious issue or an emergency to deal with.”

New Mexico Democratic @GovMLG says she pulled National Guard troops that were deployed on her state’s border with Mexico because “these troops need to be available when there is a serious issue or an emergency to deal with.” pic.twitter.com/aJjf7rtUtc — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 24, 2019

Grisham ordered the troop withdrawal Feb. 5 after Trump ordered National Guard troops to the border to provide extra security.

The order pulled most of the 118 New Mexico National Guard troops stationed at the border, with some staying to provide humanitarian aid.

“I did place some National Guard, law enforcement and most importantly, health responders to an area where they’re forcing them to come across a really desolate area in the southern part of the state,” she said.

New Mexico is part of a group of 16 states that filed as lawsuit opposing Trump's use of a national emergency to build the border wall.