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Officials pen letter to congressional leaders urging them to support bipartisan immigration reform bill
SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — In response to Border Patrol agents releasing thousands of migrants at transit centers around San Diego in recent days, the County Board of Supervisors considered asking President Joe Biden to shut down the border as a way to “prevent street releases of asylum seekers.”
Supervisors also debated how to seek federal funding to keep a migrant welcome center open permanently to avoid migrants being released in public.
Since Friday, more than 2,000 asylum seekers have been released at transit centers in San Diego County according to Supervisor Jim Desmond.
Both issues led to hours-long debate and public comment during Tuesday’s meeting.
“When Ukrainians arrived in 2022, we welcomed them with open arms, which is exactly what we should’ve done,” said one woman, “But why is it, when the majority of asylum-seekers are Black and Asian, there’s a call to shut down the border.”
Others who spoke were very much in favor of shutting down the border.
“Who are these people? Where are they from? They are not being vetted, we have no idea who they are. Are they coming from prisons from gangs? Are they trafficking drugs?” said Kelly J.
After several hours of testimony from both the public and supervisors, the idea to seek federal funding to keep the migrant center permanently open passed. However, the motion to ask that the border be closed was struck down when a substitute concept was introduced.
Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas and Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer presented a new item to send a letter of support for a Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill to Fix the Border.
The notion read as follows:
“Direct the Interim Chief Administrative Officer to send a letter to the Majority Leader of the Senate, Chuck Schumer, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, to work with President Biden to pass a Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill to Fix the Border by addressing the delays in processing asylum, increase funding for FEMA to support local governments and NGOs, and modernize border security.”
The motion passed by a 3-2 vote.
Supervisor Desmond, who supported the idea of asking President Biden to shut down the border said in a statement he was disappointed with the outcome.
“San Diego’s existing migrant resources are far beyond capacity,” wrote Desmond. “Instead of focusing on the safety and welfare of San Diegans, we are spending time and resources on migrant street releases caused by federal negligence.”
Desmond also stated he would refuse to support further financing of the migrant welcome center.
“I refuse to endorse the establishment of additional shelters as a band-aid solution to a much deeper problem.”
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