With thousands out of work, Doña Ana County Commissioners vote to ask New Mexico to reopen

DOÑA ANA COUNTY, New Mexico -- From the village of Hatch to the city of Sunland Park, business owners across Doña Ana County desperately want to open their doors to customers.

"It has hurt our business tremendously," admitted Eddie Ortega, manager of the State Line, an iconic New Mexico restaurant that sits just beyond the Texas state line.

The Doña Ana County Commission voted 4-1 on Tuesday to approve a resolution that asks New Mexico to open up the state's economy. District 3 Commissioner Shannon Reynolds was the lone dissenter.

District 4 Commissioner Isabella Solis proposed the resolution.

Commissioner Ramon Gonzalez, who represents District 2, voted for the measure, but told ABC-7 he's concerned about the number of businesses that are not requiring their customers to wear masks.

Before the pandemic started, the State Line employed 150 people, Ortega said. Now, he's down to about a dozen.

"We all need our jobs, we all need to support people and we have families and bills and rent to pay," Ortega said.

In the community of Anthony, there are closed businesses everywhere, from dental clinics to hair salons to Taekwondo studios.

"It's hard," said Sergio Grajeda, a chile and pecan farmer in the village of Hatch. "It's hard on every business."​

The farmer has been in business for eight years and calls this a "drastic time."

When ABC-7 had asked what Grajeda would tell commissioners, he said: "Keep it safe, but reopen."