By Macy Meinhardt, Voice & Viewpoint Staff Writer
The San Diego Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 last Tuesday to approve a plan that strategically advocates for federal and philanthropic support to fund a sustainable long-term migrant shelter.
The move comes after the temporary processing shelter abruptly shut down due to funding running out. With no other options, this has led to an estimated 2,000 street releases and counting across San Diego transit stations since Feb. 22st.
“We’re literally abandoning people on the street and saying ‘hey good luck’, that’s not right, we are better than that,” said Supervisor Joel Anderson at the Feb.27 Board of Supervisors meeting.
Moreso, as Congress flounders to pass a sustainable nationwide immigration bill, the San Diego border region continues to scramble to maintain control of the humanitarian crisis flooding into the border.
Since October 2023, the county had been funding a $1.5 million a month temporary welcome center for migrants, held up by a myriad of local non-profits; SBCS, Jewish Family Services, and Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego. The migrant transit center provided a space where immigrants can be dropped off by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and given assistance on their journey–meals, charging ports, water, and support services.
“In the absence of federal funding and support, the County along with our community partners have bridged an important gap and have assisted a very vulnerable population with critical support and services to ensure their path to a new future is possible,” according to documents from the Board of Supervisors meeting.
But now, the $6 million dollar county investment giving legs to the services has been “stretched to a limit,” a spokesperson for SBCS says, causing operations to cease. Without those critical services, thousands of immigrants, most of which are seeking asylum, are now being directly dropped off with no resources.
On top of this, Supervisor Anderson points out that, “they are not dropping them off in La Jolla; they are dropping them off in San Ysidro and El Cajon, the poorest communities are being burdened with the greatest need.”
The increase in the past year of immigrants at the border– and the subsequent need for a stable processing site–comes after the government’s right to turn away migrants coming to the U.S.border on the grounds of Covid expired in May, known as Title 42.
Therefore, “with the rate of arrivals not appearing to slow, and with the absence of federal funding,” the Supervisors 4-1 vote approves an outline for a long term migrant shelter that would make securing necessary grants and allocations a top issue priority for the Board moving forward.
Seeking for the shelter to one day accommodate 500 individuals per night, the approximate cost for an equipped space is reported to be between $12M and $345 million. The lowest option being an Otay Mesa Warehouse priced at $12.2 million, and the highest being a downtown land purchase at $345 million.
Other details of the outlined shelter include:
- Areas for sleeping, restroom, and shower facilities
- Areas for additional support services: case management, travel assistance, nutrition services, medical screenings, translation services
- Storage facilities, administrative offices, charging stations, and cultural and recreational space
A full description of the shelter amenities proposal can be found: here
However, Desmond was the lone vote rejecting the recommendation, arguing that he does not want to be “complicit” in a “disastrous system,” that demands a processing center of this volume.
“We would not need a migrant processing center if the federal government properly managed the border and the immigration process, and only allowed the number of people that we can properly vet and take care of.”
VIDEO: CityTV
Additionally, Desmond, who is one of two Republicans sitting on the Board of Supervisors, proposed for the Chief Administrative Officer to send a letter to the White House urging the temporary closure of the U.S.-Mexico border. This would be in order to give the County time to secure more funding and resources to limit street releases.
“Closing the border is essential to protect the wellbeing and safety of all the residents and new arrivals, particularly those most marginalized and at risk,” signed Desmond.
However, Supervisor Chair Nora Vargas vehemently opposed this suggestion, saying that a full border shutdown would have an extraordinary impact on our binational relations and economics.
“140,000 people cross the border everyday to work in San Diego– legal residents, U.S citizens– to clean your houses and do your gardens,” said Vargas. “Closing the border is not an option in a binational region that is thriving, economically integrated, and culturally integrated.”
In addition, due to skyrocketing regional housing prices, Tijuana is a critical affordable option for many people who contribute to the San Diego workforce. Vargas noted that our homeless population, which hovers around 11,000, would be “tripled” if people could not live in Tijuana and work in San Diego.
Supervisor Lawson-Remer further challenged Desmond’s proposal, saying that it was an appeal to the kind of “racist” and “xenophobic” immigration policy reminiscent of the climate of the 1930’s.
“We know exactly where that leads. It’s the beginning of the kind of polarization in the world that can only lead to tragedy,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer.
The board engaged in a conflicted discussion on the matter, rearing partisan lines when it came to agreeing on who in Washington the Board should appeal to for help.
Supervisor’s Desmond and Anderson both unified on the fact that the Board’s letter should appeal to President Biden’s authority to exercise executive power. Meanwhile, Supervisor Lawson-Remer, followed by Vargas, introduced a substitute motion, instead addressing a letter to the Majority Leader of the Senate, Chuck Schumer, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson.
Video: CityTV
The letter would urge leaders 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 substitute motion passed unanimously.
Ultimately, the charged debate within the Board reflects divergent perspectives on how best to address the crisis at the border. For right now, street releases will continue to resume as the County searches for funding sources to bring the Boards plan to action.
