by Mariana Angela
According to Newsweek, El Cajon’s Republican Mayor Bill Wells cited the escalate in border encounters as evidence of the failure of federal enforcement.
Wells noted the disturbing growth of borders meetings in San Diego County, noting a fundamental shift in migration patterns and federal border enforcement efforts. He said there were an unprecedented 37,370 border encounters in San Diego County in April, exceeding numbers in sectors such as Tucson, Stepand Del Rio for the first time in more than two decades. Wells expressed surprise and concern about the increasing number of border encounters, According to to “Newsweek”.
“We have become the No. 1 sector in America for crossing the border,” Wells said, as reported by Newsweek. “It is completely incomprehensible to me that something like this could happen in America. Look, there has always been a debate about immigration. We survived the amnesty. This has always been a hot topic.”
In April, for the first time in 25 years, San Diego led in border meetings. This problem is only getting worse. https://t.co/RrInSzv9OZ
— Bill Wells (@MayorBillWells) May 7, 2024
Under Wells’ leadership, a region that covers approximately 467 square miles, including rural communities nearby border, experienced a dramatic escalate in migration activity. The escalate is attributed to a perceived lack of federal enforcement and California’s policy of adopting sanctuary state status, which contrasts with more stringent measures introduced by neighboring states, the website reports.
The local impact has been significant, with over 214,855 detentions since October 1. Wells, who is also running for U.S. Congress, criticized federal policy, attributing the enormous majority of the current situation to national leadership.
“Ninety percent of this policy is federal policy, and really presidential policy,” Wells said, according to Newsweek. “But the added incentive is that California is a sanctuary state, so we won’t push back like Texas and Arizona. California doesn’t do this at all. So as the cartels encounter more resistance, more and more people are willing to come to California.”
Hundreds of passports and credit cards were torn and thrown away at the San Diego border. Some debit cards have ties to US companies.
What’s really going on here? @thecorygoat explains one of the unusual debit cards he found near his house. pic.twitter.com/K4uqxRafBU
— Bill Wells (@MayorBillWells) May 7, 2024
In the face of these challenges, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently approved plans for a transit facility for migrants and asylum seekers, allocating $19 million in federal funds for comprehensive support for people released from Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the mall said. Nevertheless, local officials, including County Supervisor Jim Desmond, continue to express forceful opposition, arguing that the federal government’s failure to enforce immigration laws is worsening the crisis.
“No wonder San Diego leads in border clashes,” Desmond said, according to Newsweek. “This is what happens when you roll out the red carpet and provide free healthcare, legal defense and incentives. This administration is disobeying the law and allowing millions to enter our country.”
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Mariane Angela is a contributor to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“Mayor Bill Wells” photo by Bill Wells Mayor of El Cajon . Cover photo “Illegal Migrants” by Jan R. Modlin.
