The state of California is currently facing three major problems: the influx of migrants at the border after Texas managed to secure its part of the border; a huge budget deficit; and the problem of homelessness, which now impacts a growing number of cities and areas across the states. These three problems put a lot of pressure on Democratic state leaders, who are required to fix the issues in a very sensitive period—an election year.
The immigration crisis
Southern California cities and areas are under pressure from the huge number of migrants entering the country. As a sanctuary state, using California as an entry point has become much more popular among hundreds of thousands of migrants from South America and around the world. This has become much more evident after taking into consideration the fact that the state of Texas has significantly secured the southern border by implementing various measures in the last three years pushing migrants to seek alternative routes to get into the country. And things aren’t looking bright. Experts believe that this year, California will see a record number of migrant encounters.
The impact
When Texas Gov. Greg Abbott first implemented the controversial measure to transport migrants to sanctuary cities, he justified the decision with efforts to relieve the financial pressure from border cities. But the influx of migrants has more than just a financial impact; it also puts a lot of pressure on the health system and raises safety concerns. And this is what currently happens to southern California cities, forcing local residents to take things in their own hands, at least when it comes to safety.
Gun sales skyrocket
Earlier this month, a journalist from the New York Post visited Southern California and observed a crowded scene at a local gun store, Firearms Unlimited California, in El Cajon, a suburb near San Diego with a population of 105,000. The customers in line expressed their concerns about the increasing number of migrants being released in the area, which has become central to the border crisis.
“My wife and I have had home defense guns for many years. Recently, though, with all the stuff that’s happening south of the border and all the people coming over, my concerns have broadened,” said Keith Carnevale to The Post, one of the shop’s customers, who’s armed his entire family. “I don’t think it’s just the people that are coming over to try to find work, I think we have a lot of hostile people that are coming over with ill will, ill intent that will potentially cause chaos.”
Thousands of migrants are crossing the border
The release of approximately 125,000 migrants into the streets of San Diego since September has significantly worried both Cory Gautereaux, the owner of Firearms Unlimited California, and his patrons. Following Texas’ efforts to secure its border using razor wire and additional personnel, many migrants shifted their route to California.
According to CBS News, the Border Patrol reported an average of 1,200 migrants crossing into the San Diego region illegally each day during the week ending on February 4. In contrast, some of Texas’ busiest sectors saw only hundreds of crossings. The situation has escalated, with San Diego officials reporting that local authorities apprehended 2,000 individuals in a single day last week within the San Diego sector.
Migrants are dropped off on the streets
Residents near the gun store are facing challenges due to the way migrants seeking asylum are being handled. The US Border Patrol has started transporting these migrants by bus into the community and then releasing them onto the streets. This practice has overwhelmed the local area, which is ill-prepared for the influx of people being released. San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond recently acknowledged the area’s inability to manage these large numbers.
For now, the southern regions of California and their residents are coping without sufficient support from federal and state authorities.
