It was Halloween 2024, but the scene at the CSI Aviation hangar near the Albuquerque International Sunport wasn't about costumes or candy. It was about a high-stakes gamble. Donald Trump had touched down in a state he’d lost twice before, a place where a Republican hadn't won the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004. Why show up five days before an election in a "blue" state?
Politics is often a game of optics. Honestly, most analysts thought it was a waste of time. But for Trump, the October 31st Trump rally New Mexico stop was a calculated move to pad his "credentials" with Hispanic voters. He stood on that stage and told the crowd he loved them. He also claimed he’d actually won the state twice before. Facts, though, tell a different story: he lost by 65,000 votes in 2016 and 100,000 in 2020.
The Strategy Behind the Detour
Campaigns usually live and die in Pennsylvania or Arizona. New Mexico? Not so much. Yet, the 45th (and now 47th) President leaned into the state’s 44% Hispanic voting-age population. He brought along big names like Senate candidate Nella Domenici and Yvette Herrell.
The messaging was blunt. "You have among the worst border problems of any state in America," Trump told the shivering crowd. It’s a line that resonates in a state where federal and local authorities have seen a spike in migrant deaths and border-related crime.
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But it wasn't all cheers.
Outside the CSI Aviation gates, a protest organized by the Albuquerque Party for Socialism and Liberation hummed with energy. One guy, Woody Payne, even wore a "Kamala" hat just to see the reaction. He called it the "scariest thing to do on Halloween." Police kept the two worlds apart, a far cry from the infamous 2016 Albuquerque riot where burning T-shirts and rocks flew through the air.
Why New Mexico Still Matters in 2026
Fast forward to today. You’ve probably noticed the landscape has shifted. The rhetoric from those 2024 rallies has turned into the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA) of 2025.
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If you live in Las Cruces or Santa Fe, you're feeling it. The OBBBA essentially gutted the environmental tax credits that were fueling New Mexico's solar and wind boom. Between 2022 and 2024, our renewable workforce grew by 12%. Now? Many of those projects are stalled. Experts at NM Voices have pointed out that the average New Mexican could see energy bills jump by $210 this year because of these federal shifts.
It’s a weird paradox.
The very same Trump rally New Mexico energy that promised to "fix" the border is now driving policies that hit the state's burgeoning clean energy economy. We’re seeing a massive $32 billion push for immigration enforcement through 2029, while the $156 million "Solar for All" program that helped low-income neighborhoods is being phased out.
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The Human Element: Protests and Polarization
We can't talk about these rallies without talking about the "No Kings" protests. In October 2025, on the anniversary of those final 2024 campaign stops, nearly 7 million people marched nationwide. In New Mexico, towns as small as Embudo saw groups of 100 people—which, for a tiny village, is basically like 30,000 people showing up in Albuquerque.
The polarization is real. Just last week, on January 9, 2026, protests outside an ICE facility in Albuquerque turned physical. Two people were detained. It’s a direct through-line from the "Build the Wall" chants of 2024 to the aggressive deportation operations we’re seeing now.
What You Need to Know Moving Forward
If you're trying to make sense of how that Halloween rally changed things, look at the "287(g) program." This allows local New Mexico cops to act as federal immigration agents. It’s a policy Trump championed on the trail, and it’s now active.
- Check your local energy options: Since federal EV credits of $7,500 ended in late 2025, look for the New Mexico state-level credits ($2,500–$5,000) that the legislature is trying to pass to fill the gap.
- Monitor the 2026 Midterms: The 2nd Congressional District, which stretches from Albuquerque to the border, is the primary battleground for whether these policies continue or face a legislative block.
- Stay informed on the OBBBA deadlines: If you’re planning home energy upgrades, the remaining federal credits for charging stations and home efficiency will officially expire on June 30, 2026.
Basically, the 2024 rally wasn't just a campaign stop; it was a preview of a massive structural overhaul. Whether that's a "saving" of the state or a "disruption" depends entirely on who you ask in the Duke City.
Practical Next Steps:
To navigate the current policy shift in New Mexico, you should first review your 2025 tax filings to ensure any remaining clean energy credits were claimed before the OBBBA sunset dates. Additionally, if you are part of a border community, stay updated on the Department of Justice's "expedited removal" processes, as these now bypass traditional court hearings in many local jurisdictions. For those in the energy sector, shifting focus toward the state-funded "Community Benefit Fund" created in 2025 is your best bet for securing infrastructure grants that are no longer available at the federal level.