Enchantment State News

Failing to receive a suitable response from the state has led State Rep. Gregg Schmedes (R-Tijeras) to send a letter to U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr seeking relief on behalf of a number of senior citizens.

Schmedes is asking Barr to investigate the alleged eviction of 54 residents from the Canyon Medical Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque, according to a New Mexico House of Representative press release.

The eviction took place as the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading throughout the state. Rep. Schmedes received calls from concerned family members whose parents and grandparents had been forced to leave the facility. They were given a 24-hour notice to leave and find new homes to find care.

Complicating the issue was the state’s role in the matter. The rehabilitation center was offered $600 per bed a day by the New Mexico Department of Health whether it was filled or not, the press release noted. Understandably, family members referred to the incident as “egregious” and “outrageous” as a number of the state’s most vulnerable residents were suddenly cast out.

The eviction drew an uproar from numerous media outlets leading to Schmedes requesting an investigation from the state. On May 14, he sent a letter to New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderes flagging the incident for an investigation. On May 27, Schmedes had yet to receive a formal response, leading him to seek satisfaction from the U.S. Attorney General, the release said.

“This administration violated the rights of vulnerable senior citizens, not only by rationing their health care but also evicting them from their homes,” Schmedes said in the release. “Somebody must stand up for seniors’ right in New Mexico. If we cannot obtain an in-state investigation, I’ll take the fight out of state. It’s quite possible the Americans with Disabilities Act has been violated here, but simple common sense dictates that I shouldn’t have more rights against eviction than the most vulnerable citizens in our population. Justice must be done.”