New Mexico Governor Regrets Signing CARA Act Into Law

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says the law led to infant deaths due to lack of funding and oversight.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has expressed regret over signing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) into law in 2019. The law was intended to support families with newborns exposed to drugs or alcohol, but the governor says the state's Children, Youth, and Families Department failed to follow through, leading to the deaths of several infants. Grisham says she signed the bill without any funding from the legislature, and the money never materialized. She has since issued an order requiring a judge to decide whether babies can go home, which has prevented further infant deaths.

Why it matters

The CARA Act was meant to provide critical support services for families struggling with addiction, but its implementation failures in New Mexico have had tragic consequences. This case highlights the importance of adequate funding and oversight for social welfare programs, as well as the need for policymakers to carefully consider the real-world impacts of the laws they enact.

The details

The CARA Act was signed into law in New Mexico in 2019, with the intention of referring families to support and treatment services for newborns exposed to drugs or alcohol. However, the state's Children, Youth, and Families Department did not follow through on this mandate, leading to the deaths of several infants, including four-month-old Constantine Muniz, who was born with fentanyl and methamphetamine in her system. Her parents are accused of falling asleep with the baby between them, and she died. Governor Lujan Grisham says she signed the bill without any funding from the legislature, and the money never materialized to support the program.

  • The CARA Act was signed into law in New Mexico in 2019.
  • In June 2026, four-month-old Constantine Muniz died after being born with fentanyl and methamphetamine in her system.
  • Last summer, the governor issued an order that a judge had to decide whether babies could go home, which has prevented further infant deaths since then.

The players

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham

The governor of New Mexico who signed the CARA Act into law in 2019 and has since expressed regret over the law's implementation failures.

Constantine Muniz

A four-month-old infant who died after being born with fentanyl and methamphetamine in her system, due to the state's failure to provide adequate support services to her drug-addicted parents.

New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department

The state agency responsible for implementing the CARA Act, which failed to refer families to the necessary support and treatment services, leading to the deaths of several infants.

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What they’re saying

“We were releasing, after they were well enough to go home, infants in the care of highly drug-addicted parents who were not required to take any service or get treatment for their addiction. Now I don't know if there is any better recipe for a disaster in America than that one.”

— Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (KRQE)

“20-20 hindsight. I regret that I signed the bill in '19 for Cara. I signed it without any funding from the legislature. I was convinced at the time that we could all pull it together and that money was coming. Money never showed up.”

— Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (KRQE)

What’s next

The governor says that since issuing the order requiring a judge to decide whether babies can go home, they have not had any more babies dying. This suggests that the state is now taking a more cautious and oversight-driven approach to reuniting newborns with their drug-addicted parents.

The takeaway

This case highlights the critical importance of adequate funding and oversight for social welfare programs, as well as the need for policymakers to carefully consider the real-world impacts of the laws they enact. The tragic deaths of infants in New Mexico due to the implementation failures of the CARA Act serve as a sobering reminder that good intentions alone are not enough, and that rigorous planning, resourcing, and accountability measures are essential for protecting the most vulnerable members of society.