Dozens of migrants stepped out of a bus escorted by Border Patrol into the unfamiliar heart of El Cajon, NBC 7’s Amber Frias reports.
"As many as 250 migrants" were dropped off Friday at a trio of transit hubs around San Diego County, according to a county official.
The migrants were brought to the El Cajon Transit Station; the Rancho Del Oro Transit Station, in Oceanside; and the Iris Avenue Transit Center, in the city of San Diego, officials told NBC 7. At this point, it's unclear where the migrants were being held prior to their release.
The move comes in the wake of thousands of asylum seekers crossing daily into El Paso, Texas, drawing the attention of immigration activists and opponents along the U.S. border.
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The influx coincides closely with the scheduled date for the expiration of the federal government's Title 42 program, a pandemic-era regulation implemented to allow the U.S. to expel asylum seekers trying to enter the United States.
On Monday, however, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the end of Title 42, which would have ended on Wednesday otherwise.
One local critic of Friday's local developments was San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, whose office released a statement Friday afternoon that said, in part, "The federal government is failing its obligation to protect the people of San Diego County. This system is broken and puts our region at risk. If the federal government wants to process asylum seekers, they must provide adequate resources to manage people entering our region. Our system is already overburdened, and this is before Title 42 is potentially lifted."
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Desmond cites as concerns the fact that San Diego's ongoing homeless crisis has already overloaded the social safety net, as well as hospitals and law enforcement resources that are already, in his words, "at or beyond capacity."
El Cajon's city manager, Graham Mitchell, confirmed that federal officials planned on dropping off 86 migrants in the East County city on Friday.
"There’s nothing to comment on," Mitchell told NBC 7 on Friday afternoon. “This is not in our control.”
About 50 families from all over, mostly from Latin America, were dropped off at the transit center in El Cajon.
Mark Sackett, an NBC 7 photojournalist who went to the transit center in El Cajon, reported that some of those who were dropped off had families to connect with, while others did not. He also said that many who were there did not speak English and were unsure about what to do.
Many of them shared with NBC 7 that they were awaiting a court date in their asylum case and were dropped off to reunite with friends or family.
But to people in the area, the procedural event came as a surprise. Lemon Grove Councilwoman Liana Lebaron was leaving her job at Mossy Nissan when she noticed the group being dropped off.
“Hearing mothers talk about how they are here because they want their kids to have a better life breaks my heart," said Lebaron.
Meanwhile, Sackett said, Border Patrol agents could be seen helping some of the migrants make phone calls, while others came up to him to ask for help.
Later in the day, an Oceanside official, Jennifer Atenza, said that CBP had dropped off migrants in that North County City.
"The city of Oceanside and the Oceanside Police Department were made aware of approximately 69 individuals would be dropped off at Oceanside’s Rancho Del Oro Transit Center sometime this afternoon," Atenza stated. "CBP indicated that these individuals are prescreened, and should have destinations they are supposed to be going to."
NBC 7 contacted the department of Customs and Border Protection regarding Friday's news in San Diego County, who also said that anybody released by CBP has been screened for concerns about both public safety and national security.
"CBP releases noncitizens to service providing nongovernmental organizations and other sites in border communities in coordination with state and local partners," reads a statement attributed to CBP representative Gerrelaine Alcordo. "CBP works diligently to ensure that releases are conducted in a safe manner and that all noncitizens released from custody are provided essential support upon release and may access transportation to continue to their destinations.
Alcordo also said that anybody released by CBP has "strict reporting requirements" in place as part of the immigration process.
