On Tuesday, April 30, 2019, the High Desert Cluster reported New Mexico’s Governor and Albuquerque’s Mayor announced New Mexico State Fair (Expo NM) Youth Hall dorms, dining hall and kitchen facilities will be made available for asylum-seeking migrants in route to hosts. Click here to see the lengthy official press release with a number of details. It also includes links to more information.

As of May 2, 2019, Expo NM does not expect to start receiving asylum-seeking migrants until after the High Desert Cluster is over, but that is not assured. If asylum-seeking migrants are at Expo NM, their facility access will be limited to Youth Hall dorms, dining hall and kitchen facilities. If you are unfamiliar with the show site, you can click here to go to our updated show site map. We thank those that have provided words of encouragement regarding the difficulties added to our planning. And, we recognize participants’ concerns about their well-being, security and show operations. In running the show, participant well-being is our highest priority, followed closely by security and show operations. We believe we have addressed all participant concerns. If not, please contact us. In that regard, we offer the following:

Security Changes Regardless of Migrant Arrival at Expo NM

• Obedience & Rally (Creative Arts Building) – on Thursday through Saturday nights, doors will be locked immediately after events end and participants depart. They will reopen at 5:30am. Dogs have never been kept in that building overnight.
• Conformation & Reserved Grooming (Lujan Complex) – On Thursday through Monday nights, inside security for the Lujan Complex will be extended to 6pm to 6am (instead of 8pm to 6am) and doors will be locked at 10pm. Dogs can continue to be kept in the building overnight.
• Open Grooming and Vendors – outside security covering Vendors, Red Barn (open grooming) and Youth Hall exhibit wings will be extended to 6pm to 6am (instead of 8pm to 6am). Dogs can be kept overnight in open grooming. The Red Barn is open air and cannot be locked. The Youth Hall exhibit wings cannot and have never been locked due to the way electrical spider boxes are installed for the shows.
• Portales/Porticos east of the Lujan C Building – added for open grooming. However, security for those facilities will not be added unless migrants are at Expo NM during the shows. There is electricity at the portales/porticos. See below for a photo of the portales/porticos. The equipment currently there will be moved out for the shows. Unofficially, the Palomino Barns (dirt stalls) where the bathing stations are located will also be available, but electricity is very limited.
• Rio Grande Kennel Club Show Chair – lives 0.5 miles from Expo NM, but will be staying on site in his RV from Wednesday evening through Monday morning. Regrettably, he has professional commitments that prevent him from staying through Tuesday afternoon. Expo NM has given him special permission to stay in front of the Creative Arts Building. He doesn’t expect to be there much unless he’s trying to get a little sleep. But, if you see him there, stop by and join him for a beverage.

Security Changes If Migrants Arrive at Expo NM

• Migrants in Youth Hall – migrant access to facilities at Expo NM will be restricted to the Youth Hall dorms, dining hall and kitchen facilities. See below for photos of the Youth Hall to demonstate the area were migrants are staying is easily secured. Note where the front of the building (dining hall) has been fenced. There will be guards at each of the exits on the north and south sides of the building. The doors at the back of the Youth Hall exhibit wings will be locked to prevent migrant access. Show participants will need to use bathrooms in the Lujan Complex.
• Albuquerque Police Department – will have a 24/7 presence with officers stationed on Main Street (i.e., between the Youth Hall and Lujan Complex).
• Outside Security – will be increased to provide 6pm to 6am coverage for all show facilities being used, including the portales/porticos and Palomino Barn.
• Inside and Outside Security – will be increased to provide 24/7 coverage in the event the Clusters’ show committees determine the above is not sufficient for the well-being of show participants.