U.S. authorities along the southwest border have picked up more than 52,000 immigrant children since October of last year. An attempt to open a temporary shelter for some of these children in the Southern California city of Escondido got an overwhelming “no” from city officials and residents.
The 96-bed shelter would have occupied a former nursing home in a residential neighborhood. Some 500 people showed up Tuesday night for a planning commission hearing on the shelter — packing the hallways and spilling out of the building. For nearly three hours, the public spoke — mostly against the plan. At times it turned into a forum on federal immigration policy.
Escondido resident Karen Seibold said she thought lax enforcement of immigration laws was luring Central American youth to the U.S. border.
“By allowing this facility occur here in our hometown, we’re condoning what the federal government is doing that’s illegal. And that’s essentially leading these kids falsely to come to our shores and stay here,” said Seibold.
Some did speak in favor of letting the shelter open — but the applause for several of those speakers was drowned out by boos. Daniel Perez is an Escondido business owner and community activist. He thinks three things drove opposition to the shelter.
"Ignorance, intolerance and fear. This is the time to stand together and do the best that we can, especially as human beings, we're talking about children," he said.
The planning commission ultimately voted seven to zero against the shelter. The government contractor that would have run it declined to say whether it would appeal the decision to the city council.
- Jill Replogle is a reporter at KPBS in San Diego.
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