A San Diego city official has labeled the city as the “new epicenter” for the border crisis, citing a surge in illegal crossings and migrants’ arrivals by boat. San Diego District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond criticized California’s policies, saying that the states actions have contributed to the crisis.
“San Diego is the new epicenter for migrants and illegal immigration,” Desmond said on X, formerly Twitter.
He highlighted a significant increase in illegal crossings, causing San Diego to lead all nine southern border sectors in April — a situation reportedly not seen since the 1990s.
According to Desmond, San Diego Border Patrol agents apprehended 2,000 people illegally crossing the border on Wednesday, April 24, including 206 Chinese nationals. Since October, Desmond said Border Patrol told him that there have been 214,855 apprehensions from 75 different countries.
The supervisor expressed concerns over migrants arriving by boat, contending that there is a lack of a vetting process compared to those who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border on foot.
Desmond criticized California’s policies, stating the state provides health care, legal advice and even funding for attorneys for deported migrants. Additionally, he claimed that local law enforcement is not allowed to enforce immigration law.
The San Diego Border Patrol has yet to confirm Desmond’s statistics or further comment on the matter as of the publishing of this article.
