Humanitarian crisis

Supervisor Jim Desmond

5th District

In a unanimous decision last week, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors officially declared the ongoing border situation a "Humanitarian Crisis." This declaration comes in response to a mounting crisis that has seen over 8,500 migrants dropped at transit stations in San Diego County since September 13, 2023.

The federal government's lack of sufficient resources to manage this influx of asylum-seeking migrants has resulted in a critical strain on local resources and created an urgent humanitarian challenge.

The situation has escalated rapidly as daily street releases continue, with no set end date in sight. These releases occur with little direction and minimal resources, leaving local communities grappling with an increasingly untenable situation. The burden of caring for these asylum seekers has been unfairly shifted to local governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and community members.

While we are a community that values compassion and empathy, we must also acknowledge the practical limits of our capacity to meet the needs of those who arrive in our region.

With this approval, three important things will happen:

• Declare this a Humanitarian Crisis.

• Call on the federal government to designate resources and personnel to prevent street releases.

• Oppose lateral transfers of asylum seekers from other states and jurisdictions.

We already face a severe homelessness crisis, and dropping thousands of individuals onto our streets will only exacerbate this issue. Like many others, our region is already beyond its capacity to provide essential services, resources, and support to those seeking refuge within our borders.

The responsibility for border security lies squarely with the federal government, and they must not continue to abdicate this essential obligation.