By: Jason Hopkins, Daily Caller News Foundation
In a leaked audio recording posted on social media, New Mexico Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham can be heard expressing deep frustration with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and threatening to send a letter accusing his department of failing to work with her on border security.
“For the love of god, put [Border Patrol agents] at the border in Sunland Park where I don’t have a single Border Patrol agent — not one. And people pour over. And so I’m cranky with the Secretary,” Grisham is heard saying in the audio, which was first posted by an anonymous account on X.
The conversation appeared to largely revolve around federal government seizures of licensed medical and recreational cannabis at Border Patrol checkpoints in New Mexico.
However, it’s not immediately clear who the governor was speaking with. A spokesman for her office confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that the audio was authentic, but declined to identify who the other individual was, only saying the person was a “high level admin official.”
Her office said the conversation took place sometime this week.
Later on in the audio, the governor can be heard threatening to write a letter accusing Mayorkas of failing to work with her office on the immigration crisis.
“But the press also knows that Border Patrol is taking a hard stance, and the only way is either we have to adjust it or I have to send you a letter saying ‘you’re persecuting the state, you are not using your discretion, you’re not working with me on immigration,'” Grisham said to the official.
“And I don’t want to send out a letter, but I’m, I’m boxed in hard,” she continued.
In a statement to the DCNF, Grisham’s office noted that the conversation was intended to be private.
“This unauthorized and edited recording of the governor’s private phone call reflects what she has already said publicly — that she is frustrated by federal seizures of licensed cannabis products in New Mexico, particularly those from small producers. She has expressed the same concerns in phone calls with Secretary Mayorkas,” said Michael Coleman, communications director for Grisham.
News of the audio leak comes as Mayorkas faces immense criticism of his handling of the southern border crisis.
The Republican-controlled House voted to impeach him in February, making him the first cabinet secretary to be impeached since the 19th century. However, the Democrat-controlled Senate dismissed those impeachment charges earlier this month.
The Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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