SAN DIEGO (NewsNation) — San Diego County officials Tuesday considered asking President Joe Biden to close the border to prevent the release of additional migrants into the community.
Leaders in the area are under pressure to find a solution following the closure of a migrant welcome center in San Diego due to the county running out of funding.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said more than 2,000 migrants, primarily single adult men, have been released into the county since Friday by Border Patrol.
On Tuesday, the issue was the center of debate during a Board of Supervisors meeting, where residents expressed concerns over public safety and urged the county to determine its next steps.
“Should have their dignity and their humanity respected regardless of how they got here or when they got here,” resident Lilian Serrano said.
Another, Melissa O’Connor, said, “Your government is using your money to arm nonprofit organizations that weaken America and steal resources from Americans who need them.”
The motion to ask that the border be closed was struck down when a substitute concept was introduced.
Officials ultimately approved a plan to develop a long-term migrant transfer site and to secure federal funding for it.
Additionally, Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas and Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer presented a new item to send a letter of support for a bipartisan immigration reform bill.
Despite that motion’s passage, Desmond expressed disappointment with the outcome of the vote.
“This federally funded long-term shelter here is just being complicit with the federal government and the current mess, and the fact that they’re not upholding the current laws, they’re making a mess. I don’t want to be complicit in a symptom of a failed and broken system. That needs to be fixed first,” Desmond said.
San Diego isn’t the only city appealing to the federal government for assistance.
El Paso, Texas, finds itself in need after the city’s recent failure to extend the migrant emergency ordinance. It plays a critical role in providing aid to migrants crossing the border via non-governmental organizations.