San Diego neighborhoods with large refugee populations are split on President Donald Trump's proposal to put a temporary ban on most refugees and a suspension of immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries.
The decision could have a big impact on cities like El Cajon, which houses some of the country's largest immigrant populations from Iraq and Syria.
Even the City Councilman from this district is an Iraqi immigrant.
But the feelings on Trump's proposal in El Cajon are similar to those felt around the country - mixed and emotional.
"This isn't what we stand for," said James Elia, whose family was displaced in Iraq. "We're a country that fights for moral reasons, we're a country that doesn't oppress people, we're a country that's supposed to help the less fortunate and I fear that the times we are going through now, it's not going to happen."
The Chaldean has become an advocate for refugees.
His cousin, Samia, has been displaced in Iraq for several years. Before ISIS invaded the country, she was a typical 20-year-old college student, studying liberal arts. But now, she wanders from city to city, staying with any available, surviving relative, Elia said.
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"I can't even describe how many sleepless nights we're having because we can't get in contact with people," Elia said. "We'll get an email, we'll get a Facebook, something every five, six months, telling us that she's not dead."
El Cajon City councilman Ben Kalasho empathizes with Samia's story - he is an Iraqi immigrant himself.
But Mr. Kalasho says at this point, the City of El Cajon is in too much of a financial strain to support more refugees.
El Cajon now is the poorest city in County, with 28 percent of its population living below the poverty line.
"People are looking for jobs. And in this economy everyone wants jobs, I'm talking about the people who currently reside here," he said. "So when you add the element of including refugees into the mix, it really becomes a catastrophe, economically."
Councilman Kalasho added that the crime rate has absolutely gone up since more refugees have moved in. However, not all of it is violent, he said. A lot of it has to do with refugees not knowing the proper customs or laws here.
