Pro-life advocates are hailing a growing boycott by construction contractors as a moral stand against New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s push for a new taxpayer-funded abortion facility.
Local businesses are refusing bids to build what critics call a “megacomplex” for late-term abortions in the state’s northern part, where most people reside.
Grisham’s $10 million taxpayer-funded project to kill more babies, slipped into House Bill 450 as part of a $1.2 billion capital outlay package, aims to construct a second Planned Parenthood center in northern New Mexico following a similar allocation last year for a facility in Las Cruces. The Democrat governor broke ground on the southern site in 2024 to attract abortion customers from Texas., framing such investments as “essential health care” despite the fact that abortions kill babies and hurt women.
But the funding has sparked fierce backlash from Republican lawmakers and grassroots groups, who argue it diverts resources from pressing needs like infrastructure, education, and public safety.
“This is about sneaking in an agenda while our state’s real needs are ignored,” State Rep. Cathrynn Brown, R-Carlsbad, said in a statement.
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She described the provision as a “slap in the face” to New Mexicans facing crumbling roads, water shortages and underfunded law enforcement.
During debate, attempts to strip the abortion funding failed, leaving pro-life members in a bind.
“It’s a poison pill designed to force pro-life members into a corner,” Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, said.
Now, the contractor boycott is amplifying the opposition. Multiple firms have publicly declined to submit bids for the northern facility, citing ethical objections to participating in the expansion of an industry that ends unborn lives.
Pro-life organizations, including CatholicVote, reported at least three major contractors pulling out in recent days, effectively stalling the project amid a wave of public petitions and social media campaigns demanding transparency.
State Rep. Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, echoed the sentiment, telling the New Mexico Sun: “We need millions for roads, water, and law enforcement—not another abortion clinic.”
In response, the Southwest Coalition for Life is mobilizing supporters through an emergency webcast set for this week, featuring national and local leaders, former abortion industry workers and even participating businesses. The virtual event outlines a “proven model” that derailed a similar proposal in the past, while launching a statewide prayer campaign to safeguard women and preborn children from what organizers decry as unregulated “abortion up to delivery.”
