Rep. Gabe Vasquez Demands Restoration of Mail Service to Mule Creek
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) called on Acting Postmaster Doug Tulino for the restoration of timely and reliable mail services to Mule Creek, New Mexico where residents have been without consistent postal service for nearly a year.
“For far too long, Mule Creek residents have been forced to live without basic, reliable mail service,” said Vasquez. “Rural communities in my district rely on the USPS to deliver life saving medications, Social Security checks, and a way to pay bills in places where internet access may be limited. The total neglect of rural areas and the communities that inhabit them is unacceptable.”
Since the Mule Creek post office was damaged in 2024, USPS has failed to complete necessary repairs and fully restore service. A temporary mobile unit operates for only four hours each weekday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., offering limited services. Residents cannot send outgoing packages, purchase stamps, or access the full range of postal operations most Americans rely on without driving over an hour round-trip to the nearest operational post office.
In his letter, Vasquez called on Acting Postmaster Tulino to provide information on the following:
- The current status of repairs to the permanent USPS building in Mule Creek, New Mexico
- Whether and when full mail services will be restored to the community
- Why USPS has failed to respond to residents’ concerns and what steps will be taken to improve communication moving forward
“We, Mule Creek residents, are very frustrated with the postal service,” said Jonathan Diener, President of the Mule Creek Community Association. “For almost a year, USPS has not responded to the community’s requests to fix the ongoing issues at Mule Creek Post Office or even been willing to communicate with the community. No response has been made to several letters. Residents have been forced to travel long distances just to access basic mail service. We are grateful to Rep. Vasquez for fighting to fix this issue.”
Rep. Vasquez continues to press for fairness, accessibility, and investment in postal services to ensure rural New Mexicans are not left behind.
Full text of the letter can be found below:
Dear Acting Postmaster Tulino,
I am writing to express my deep concern about the current state of the Mule Creek, New Mexico Post Office. This post office, which serves a rural community, was damaged almost a year ago and is unable to provide usual services or hours. Rural communities like Mule Creek depend on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to provide timely and reliable mail services, and I urge you to respond to the communities’ requests and prioritize restoring full service to the Mule Creek Post Office.
The USPS is vital to rural communities across New Mexico. Rural residents, especially seniors and veterans, depend on USPS to receive medications and Social Security checks, pay bills, and receive medications. Businesses in rural areas are also dependent upon postal services to receive supplies and send items to customers, especially when private shipping companies simply refuse to provide service due to the distance and cost.
I was extremely alarmed by former Postmaster DeJoy’s letter to Congress earlier this year, in which he repeatedly described serving rural areas as “burdensome.” I hope under your leadership USPS will recommit to serving rural Americans. This is not an option, I will not let USPS leave rural communities like Mule Creek behind.
I am extremely concerned that USPS has failed to restore full service to Mule Creek residents for almost a year. Currently, only a mobile unit operates in Mule Creek. Where residents were previously able to pick up mail 24 hours per day, they can now only pick up from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM - a mere four hour pick up window each week day. Additionally this mobile unit does not provide full services–such as selling stamps or allowing people to send packages–forcing residents to drive over an hour round-trip for these essential services. This is a significant burden for those who rely on these services, especially elderly and disabled members of the community and working families.
In addition to failing to fully repair the damaged building, USPS has also failed to adequately communicate with local residents. Local residents report that USPS has repeatedly failed to respond to the building owner, even when they secured a contractor to make repairs. The community has also reached out to USPS supervisors about the timeline of the project and have not received a response. This is unacceptable.
Please respond by July 3, 2025 with the following information:
What is the current status of repairs on the permanent USPS building in Mule Creek, NM?
- Will USPS restore full services to Mule Creek? If so, please provide additional information about when residents can expect service to be restored.
- Why has USPS failed to respond to residents’ concerns about the Mule Creek Post Office and how does USPS plan to improve communication with the community moving forward?
- Restoring full mail service to Mule Creek is vital to ensuring that USPS is fulfilling its mandate to serve our rural communities. I look forward to your timely response to this issue.
Sincerely,
Gabe Vasquez
Member of Congress
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