Update June 3, 2025 -- Homeland Security has taken down its list of sanctuary jurisdictions amid controversy nationwide.

By Miriam Raftery

Image via Immigration and Customs Enforcement:  ICE stop in Florida

May 30, 2025 (San Diego) –A list of over 500 “sanctuary jurisdictions” published by the Dept. of Homeland Security yesterday includes San Diego County and four local cities: Santee, San Diego, Chula Vista, and Vista. The criteria for inclusion is baffling, since the list includes both conservative-run and liberal-run jurisdictions locally.

The DHS website claims the jurisdictions are “deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws” but does not specific why any specific city or county is on the list. Under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on April 28, federal grants and contracts with sanctuary jurisdictions are to be suspended or terminated.

Although the DHS site states that jurisdictions would be notified, all five local jurisdictions have indicated that they did not receive any notification before being publicly listed and local leaders dispute the designation.

By Miriam Raftery

May 5, 2025 (El Cajon) – The initial round of 60 signatures to recall El Cajon Councilmember Phil Ortiz have been validated, City Clerk Angela Cortez confirms. The organizers, Latinos en Accion, now must publish their intent in a local newspaper and have 120 days to gather signatures from 20% of the 11,320 registered voters in District 4 in order to put the recall measure on the ballot.

Increasing the controversy, recall opponent Amy Reichert is slamming recall leader Mairene Branham for comments Branham posted as mair3n3 on an Instagram reel showing video of a press conference held by conservatives who oppose “sanctuary cities” and/or oppose the recall effort.

Branham posted, “Still is and will be better when all of the people in this video die off.”

By Alexander J. Schorr

April 4, 2025 (San Diego) – “We don’t have a democracy if we don’t participate,” said Dolores Huerta, 95, a historic leader of the farmworkers’ movement along with the late Cesar Chavez. Huerta, who has since founded her own foundation for social advocacy, made the remarks in a speech at Gomez Trial Lawyers in downtown San Diego on March 24, where the law firm gave a $10,000 donation to the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

Heuerta spoke of her long history of activism and how she sees new opportunities for new leadership in the civil rights movement.

Latino and labor groups submit records request on communications between city, ICE and federal officials

By Miriam Raftery

View video of the press conference

April 2, 2025 (El Cajon) – A coalition of advocacy groups and El Cajon residents held a press conference today outside El Cajon City Hall to denounce the March 27 immigration raid on a painting company in the unincorporated part of El Cajon.

El Cajon City Manager Graham Mitchell, in response to a request for comment from ECM, stated via email, “El Cajon staff (police, management, elected officials, etc.), had no involvement in the Federal law enforcement action that took place outside the city limits last week. I learned about the event when I saw a media alert. Further, the City's involvement would have been a violation of Prop 47 and we are committed to abiding the law.”

But speakers called for “accountability” from the Mayor and three councilmembers who recently voted on a resolution to allow the city’s police to cooperate with federal immigration officials regarding undocumented immigrants in the city accused or convicted of crimes.

Latinos en Acción and the National Day Labor Organizing Network also submitted a public records request to the city seeking all communications of city elected officials and employees with U.S. Customs and Immigration (ICE), the Dept. of Homeland Security, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, the San Diego County Sheriff, State Senator Brian Jones, and the anti-immigrant group America First Legal between Nov. 2024 and the present regarding enforcement of immigration law, the immigration enforcement resolution, and the immigration raid.

Cesar Chavez passed away in 1993. Where are today’s heroes?

By  Dr. Sergio R. Conti, MPH

March 23, 2025 (El Cajon) -- I once asked a 12-year-old seventh grader who his Latin idol was. Without hesitation, he replied, “El Canelo Álvarez.” I explained to him that a hero is admired for their brave actions, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Heroes can emerge in history, literature, film, or real life. They are individuals who fight for justice, save lives, inspire others, or demonstrate extraordinary courage in the face of adversity. The boy looked at me thoughtfully and admitted he didn’t know anyone like that.

Federal judge from Maryland temporarily blocks the Trump administration from using ICE to arrest migrants in certain sensitive locations

By G. A. McNeeley 

March 3, 2025 (Washington D.C.) - A federal judge on Monday, February 24, in Maryland, temporarily blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from conducting raids, and targeting and arresting migrants inside of a select few churches, temples, and other places of worship run by organizations that filed the lawsuit. View the ruling. 

The lawsuit challenged an order by the Trump administration to allow ICE enforcement in sensitive locations, including places of worship, a change to a longstanding federal policy which prohibited enforcement actions in places of worship as well as schools and hospitals. The religious groups challenged this change as unconstitutional. The ruling came down on the side of the religious groups who sued the Trump administration in response to the policy change, after asking federal courts to intervene.

Issue prompts drive to recall Councilman Phil Ortiz

By Alex Schorr and Miriam Raftery

View video

Photo, left:  Resolution opponents hold up sign denouncing hate and likening ICE roundups to “Gestapo” tactics

February 14, 2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon’s City Council on Tuesday passed a controversial resolution allowing the city’s police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and hand over any undocumented who has been convicted of a violent crime, as well as immigrants merely accused of a crime.  The measure was introduced by Mayor Bill Wells, with backing of Councilmember Phil Ortiz and amendments by Councilman Steve Goble.

The meeting was contentious, sparked by numerous emotional outbursts, threats to recall Councilmember Ortiz for supporting the resolution, and playing of phone threats made against Councilmembers who voted against the measure previously.

Just two weeks ago, the Council rejected a similar proposal by a 3-2 vote, but reversed that action on Wednesday after Councilmember Goble switched sides.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego on Facebook

February 11, 2025 (San Diego, CA) – Multiple faith leaders and a crowd of around 1,500 people overflowed the St. Joseph Cathedral and then held a procession to the federal building downtown and prayers in support of undocumented immigrants, chanting “our neighbors, our coworkers, our brothers and sisters,” the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego posted on Facebook.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, whom the Pope has appointed Archbishop of Washington D.C., spoke at the event, as did Episcopalian Bishop Susan Brown Snook and other faith leaders.

“Just as Jesus, Mary and Joseph had to flee oppression to another land when they were on this Earth," Cardinal McElroy said, “So too we must stand with those who are immigrants here in our midst now and make sure that their safety is secure, and that humanity is respected.”

Photo:  Councilman Steve Goble is the likely swing vote when the El Cajon City Council reconsiders an amended version of a controversial immigration measure on Feb. 11.

By Miriam Raftery

February 10, 2025 (El Cajon) -  A controversial measure to allow El Cajon Police officers to cooperate with federal immigration authorities is back on tomorrow’s agenda. The newly revised version includes changes from an earlier version that was voted down 3-2  after a five-hour hearing with emotional testimony on both sides. View revised draft.

The immigration matter is scheduled at the end of a 3 p.m. meeting tomorrow. However, there is an earlier 2 p.m. special meeting on unrelated issues. Activists on both sides have been advising the public to arrive early, since seats may fill up for the first meeting with people planning to stay for both meetings.

The original measure was introduced by Mayor Bill Wells and Councilman Phil Ortiz, who voted in favor. Councilmembers Gary Kendrick, Michelle Metschel and Steve Goble voted no, after several attempts at compromise measures failed. The newest reversion includes amended language proposed by Councilmember Goble.

Source: America’s Voice

January 29, 2025 (Washington, DC) — Yesterday delivered several reminders that the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda is sweeping in its scope, harm and indiscriminate nature, viewing all immigrants here without legal status as “criminal” and comfortable in the reality that U.S. citizens and tribal members are among those being targeted and detained in their early enforcement efforts. These fresh reminders, detailed below, follow our assessment yesterday that highlighted the indiscriminate nature of the early Trump administration’s deportation agenda.  

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: screenshot of aerial video by ECM news partner 10 News shows military troops with razor wire at a staging site in the South Bay, as troops prepare to deploy to fortify U.S. - Mexico Border and aid in Trump crackdown on border crossings.

January 26, 2025 (San Diego) – A tough crackdown on immigrants has begun, after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the Southern Border. On Thursday, 1,500 active-duty military troops have been deployed to patrol the borders in San Diego and San Antonio, Texas, with the first soldiers arriving Thursday. 10 News shot footage showing troops, including hundreds from Camp Pendleton, arriving at staging area in Imperial Beach along with concertina razor wire, tents, and military trucks.

Yet according to Associated Press, data doesn’t back up Trump’s contention of an “invasion” of immigrants.  In fact,  AP reports, “arrests for illegal border crossings plummeted more than 80% to about 47,000 in December from an all-time high of 250,000 the same period a year earlier. Arrests fell by about half when Mexican authorities increased enforcement within their own borders a year ago and by about half again when former President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June.”

Immigration sweeps have also begun across the nation, striking fear into immigrant communities as Border Patrol agents in some areas reportedly demanded documentation of everyone stopped, including citizens. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, told Fox News that ICE arrested over 308 “serious criminals” in the first 24 hours after Trump took office.

One day later, Newsweek reports, Trump’s Acting Secretary of Homeland Security  Benjamine Huffman lifted a long-standing ban, now allowing ICE to target immigrants in sensitive locations including schools, churches and hospitals.

In addition to fortifying the border to block crossings by migrants, including many seeking asylum and fleeing violence or persecution, Trump's administration has disabled the app which formerly allowed asylum-seekers to apply online without crossing the border, effectively blocking all asylum efforts, NPR reports. 

By Wendy Fry, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Saul Muñoz, 53, waits for any job opportunities in front of a Home Depot in San Diego on Jan. 20, 2025. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

January 23, 2025 (San Diego) - Undocumented immigrants and their California families braced for the worst — and many told CalMatters they would go underground — as newly sworn-in President Donald Trump began issuing executive orders to enable what he promises will be the most massive deportation in U.S. history. 

By Miriam Raftery

Image: Wong Kim Ark, whose landmark 1898 lawsuit led to a Supreme Court ruling affirming citizenship for all children born in the U.S., regardless of parents' immigration status. Born in the U.S.,Kim had been denied reentry after traveling abroad. Photo via 1904 immigration document.

January 21, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Multiple lawsuits have been filed seeking to block an executive order yesterday issued by President Donald Trump which aims to end birthright citizenship. Trump’s order seeks to end citizenship from being issued to children born in the U.S. if the parents are not in the U.S. legally In addition, his order would prohibit citizenship from children born to a mother who is in the U.S. on a temporary and legal basis, such as student, work, or tourist visas, unless the father is a citizen or lawful permanent resident. The order would take effect in 30 days, on Feb. 19, and apply to children born on or after that date.

The order is in direct contradiction to the U.S. Constitution’s 14^th amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” Trump’s order contends that children of undocumented immigrants as well as children born to mothers here on a temporary basis are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S..

By Miriam Raftery

Times of San Diego and Voice of San Diego contributed to this report

Photo by Chris Stone, Times of San Diego: Nora Vargas at a 2022 rally

December 20, 2024 (San Diego)—In an announcement that surprised even her staff, San Diego County Supervisors’ Chair Nora Vargas today announced she will step down January 6 at the end of her term, despite winning reelection in November with 62.5% of the votes.

“Due to personal and security reasons, I will not take the oath of office for a second term,” Vargas said, Times of San Diego reports.

East County News Service

September 23, 2024 (Poway) -- Poway OnStage invites you to Eternamente: Dia de los Muertos Spectacular  on October 6 at 2:00 p.m. This celebration of life features lively music, dance, beautiful costumes, and a virtual altar to pay tribute to the departed. There will also be a meet and greet with the cast after the show in the lobby of the Poway Center for Performing Arts.