Immigration was a signature issue during now-President Donald Trump's campaign. On his first day in office, he put his signature on paper, with a series of executive actions on immigration and border security.
“We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders,” the president said during his inaugural speech on Monday.
San Diego immigration attorney Andrew Nietor said the breadth of the executive actions is sweeping, although some may have more immediate impact than others.
“Some of them, such as declaring the state of emergency, I do think that President Trump and the administration can start taking action and diverting funds, diverting law enforcement personnel into the communities and along the border,” Nietor said.
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Others, however, like ending birthright citizenship, are already facing legal challenges. California is among 18 states suing the administration over the order.
“There's a general consensus that that is just contrary to U.S. law, contrary to the U.S. Constitution,” Nietor said.
The national emergency declaration expands presidential power. It redirects resources and sends armed forces to the border. San Diego Congressman Juan Vargas, who represents the district along the border, said the emergency declaration is misguided.
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“If you live in San Diego, you look around, there is an emergency," Vargas said. "But it’s fires. It’s Santa Ana winds. It's not people coming across the border. That’s ridiculous. I mean, he did it for show. It’s an ugly show. We’ve seen this show before. It always leads to racism and other ugly things."
