Federal Government's Secret Transfer of Migrants from San Diego to Arizona and Texas

Between September 2023 and June 2024, more than 155,000 migrants—predominantly single adults—were released onto the streets of San Diego County. The primary reason: Border Patrol facilities were overrun, and, by federal law, Border Patrol could not hold these individuals for more than a few days. The street releases temporarily stopped over the summer due to weather conditions, executive orders, and other factors—conveniently, just before the upcoming election.

However, officials informed me that street releases were set to resume again last Friday in San Diego County. In a blatant attempt to protect their image before the election, the Federal Government has opted to quietly transfer migrants out of state instead of addressing the real issue. Every day, numerous buses are now driving illegal immigrants from San Diego to Yuma, Arizona, where they are flown across the country. Additionally, 3 to 4 planes a week are flying illegal immigrants from San Diego to McAllen, Texas, where facilities are not full.

This is not a solution—it's smoke and mirrors - a cover-up for the sake of optics. While states like Texas and Arizona, which are working diligently to secure their borders, have space in their facilities, California remains overwhelmed because it incentivizes illegal immigration with sanctuary policies and handouts, including free healthcare and legal defense. Our state is bearing the brunt of these policies. Instead of addressing the crisis head-on, the Federal Government is using San Diego as a stopgap to avoid political fallout.

This issue is not about securing our borders for the long term; it's about political optics ahead of the election. San Diego and our nation deserve better.