SAN DIEGO — County Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to declare the conditions along the southern border as a humanitarian crisis.
"In a unanimous decision today, we took action to declare an urgent humanitarian crisis, urging the Federal Government to step in with additional resources and measures. We seek either to limit the number of asylum seekers released into our region or, alternatively, to secure the resources required by our Non-Government Partners to effectively manage their journey to their ultimate destinations," Chairwoman Vargas said in a statement.
This declaration follows an influx of migrants at the Southern border recently. Nearly 7,800 migrants have been dropped off at transit stations in San Diego since September 13.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol released four to six buses of migrants at the Iris Avenue Transit Center on September 18.
"Our community is facing an unprecedented humanitarian challenge. The Federal Government's failure to provide adequate resources has placed the burden squarely on our region. We cannot stand by as individuals are released into our communities without direction or the necessary resources. We call upon our Federal delegation to either limit the number of asylum seekers released into the region or provide the necessary resources for our Non-Governmental Partners to manage them adequately. Today's declaration sends a strong message that we demand action," Supervisor Jim Desmond said in a statement Tuesday.
Desmond outlined the board's key positions:
- Declares the lack of federal resources for asylum seekers a humanitarian crisis.
- Calls for the Federal Government to designate resources and personnel to manage asylum seekers and connect them to their sponsors and final destinations to prevent street releases.
- Opposes lateral transfers of asylum seekers from other states and jurisdictions.
- Directs the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to send a detailed letter outlining the specific needs of local non-governmental organizations and impacted communities to San Diego's Federal delegation to request additional resources.
- Advocates for federal funding to develop a long-term solution for the region, including a permanent facility and operational support when federal agencies release asylum seekers in San Diego County.
- Per a previous Board Action on February 7, 2023, directs the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to continue convening with local cities, state and federal governments, and non-governmental organizations to collaborate and develop a comprehensive, innovative region-wide approach to address both short-term and long-term goals for the permanent border community.
On Sunday, Supervisor Jim Desmond posted on X (formerly Twitter) about U.S. border agents' practice of dropping off migrants from the Mexican border to the San Diego County area.
"This morning, I visited the Oceanside transit station and witnessed Border Patrol officials drop off over 20 migrants. Nearly 7,000 migrants have been dropped in San Diego in the past 10 days alone. The County of San Diego can only do so much, and our resources are stretched to their limits," Desmond wrote.