East New Mexico News

The Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office has removed a Facebook post from the department's page that said it wouldn't enforce public health orders that forced many small businesses to close.

The post was up on the social media site for less than a day.

It read, "We support your rights to open your business but ask that if you do, you do so discretely and responsibly. Keep doors closed and locked and limit your patrons in numbers."  

The post also said the sheriff's office would not enforce any mandates set by MLG or the New Mexico Department of Health.

It was in response to the orders Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's issued in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.  The New Mexico State Police is the only law enforcement agency under the order required to enforce it. A public information officer with the New Mexico State Police said troopers would still look into complaints of nonessential businesses operating. 

"I am not encouraging nor discouraging people to open or close their business. I am simply trying to let people know that I stand behind their constitutional and God-given rights to run their business and support their families under the same mandates set by the governor to big-box stores," said Sheriff Malin Parker in a statement provided to The Eastern New Mexico News.

Nora Meyers Sackett, the governor's press secretary, wrote in an e-mail that there are civil and criminal repercussions for not abiding by the governor's directives. Meyers Sackett wrote that elected officials who aren't taking notice of the orders were putting communities' health in jeopardy. 

"Nothing about the public health order changes just because the sheriff is choosing to ignore the importance of saving lives," Meyers Sackett said. 

The governor's order is set to expire on May 15. At this point it's unknown if any businesses in Roosevelt County closed because of it would reopen prior to that date.