By Macy Meinhardt, V&V Staff Writer, CA Local News Fellow
In the first 100 days, the Trump administration has made good on its promise to crack down on immigration numbers. Across the nation, this has manifested in slashing asylum access, revoking student visas, authorizing mass deportations, and ramping up surveillance and defense sources at the border.
Since last October, border crossings in San Diego have decreased by about 88% according to data from the U.S. Border Patrol.
As migrant arrivals plummet, San Diego finds itself navigating a new immigration reality, shaped by a polarized political climate, legal uncertainty, and rising fears within its immigrant communities.
San Diego’s shaky sanctuary status
A month before Trump took office, the San Diego Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to uphold the region’s “super sanctuary” status. This means, policies are currently in place that limit county agencies from using their resources to assist federal immigration authorities, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The board’s vote was shortly followed by a scathing letter from one of Trump’s lead advisors, Stephen Miller, warning former San Diego County Chairwoman Nora Vargas, and other elected San Diego officials that they are at risk of “criminal and civil liability” if they do not cooperate with federal immigration law.
“So-called ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions that forbid compliance with federal immigration law and cooperation with the officials who enforce it are, therefore, breaking the law. Moreover, sanctuary jurisdictions are strictly prohibited from requiring their employees to violate federal immigration law,” the letter states.
Chairwoman Vargas had resigned when this letter was sent out, citing “personal safety” reasons. A special election has since been held to replace her seat. Currently, Republican Mayor of Chula Vista, John McCan, and Democratic Mayor of Imperial Beach, Paloma Aguirre, are poised for a July 1 runoff election.
The significance of this election is that the board is currently deadlocked in a 2-2 split between Democratic and Republican board members. Whoever is elected to fill Vargas’ seat will tip the partisan balance of power and will likely alter how the county conducts its immigration affairs.
Meanwhile, during the most recent board meeting on April 8, officials failed to pass a recommendation proposed by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer to beef up the county’s Immigrant Legal Defense Program, which provides free legal representation to detained immigrants facing deportation.
The item comes in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s expansion of their “expedited removal protocol,” which county leaders say strips immigrants of their right to a hearing and due process before a judge—enshrined by the 4th and 5th amendments.
“These operations bypass due process and swiftly remove people from their homes and communities without even a hearing–violating basic constitutional rights,” Lawson-Remer’s board letter states.
With Republican Supervisor Jim Desmond absent and the other Republican Supervisor Joel Anderson, voting no, the motion failed to pass.
Deportations and Detentions in San Diego
During Trump’s first full month in office, CBP recorded approximately 11,000 deportations in Feb. 2025, down from 12,000 deportations that occurred in Feb. 2024 under Biden’s administration.
But while overall deportations dipped slightly, worksite raids have continued, reminiscent of Trump’s first administrative term. On March 27, ICE agents raided San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings in El Cajon, arresting 15 employees and charging the company’s general manager with conspiracy to harbor undocumented workers.
Workers described being handcuffed and forced to stand in the sun for hours without water as agents verified their immigration status. Four individuals were ultimately charged.
Blanca Corona, whose husband was detained in the raid, told KPBS her family—including four U.S. citizen children, faces financial ruin without his income.
As a result, several residents and immigration advocates in El Cajon marched to City Hall in protest, filing a public records request to demand answers from city officials about their cooperation with federal immigration officials.
In addition, on March 25, the Department of Homeland Security announced in the Federal Register that it was revoking humanitarian parole for hundreds of thousands of immigrants living in the U.S. legally under the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parole program (CHNV).
The Haitian Bridge Alliance has been an outspoken critic of this move stating in a press release, “This is not policy—it is premeditated cruelty, rooted in white supremacy, anti-Blackness, and xenophobia.”
The CHNV program, initiated in 2023, was designed to offer temporary safe haven to migrants fleeing authoritarian regimes, economic collapse, and political violence
Student Visa Crackdowns
The Trump administration has also targeted international students, including up to nine enrolled at local universities. In March, students from UC San Diego and San Diego State University were among dozens across California whose F-1 visas were abruptly revoked, reportedly in connection with pro-Palestinian activism on campus last year. According to The Aztec, SDSU’s student newspaper, four international students on their campus had their visas revoked, while five cases were reported at UCSD. Additionally, a sixth UCSD student was “detained at the border, denied entry, and deported to their home country,” according to reporting by The Guardian, the university’s student newspaper.
What’s Next?
Immigration news and policy are shifting dramatically and quickly under this administration. With the July 1 supervisor election looming, a McCann victory would likely align the county with Trump’s enforcement agenda, while Aguirre’s win could reinforce sanctuary policies. Either way, the region’s identity as a border community—and the lives of thousands of immigrants—hang in the balance.
