North County Cities Hold Summit on Migrants

Their communities teeming with unsheltered and jobless migrants, North County officials held an unusual summit Tuesday to vent collective frustration over what they claim is the federal government’s deafness to their problems.

City representatives criticized a planned $31 million, 16-lane border checkpoint at Interstate 5 and Camp Pendleton, saying it would only further bottle up migrants in North County rather than stopping them from entering the country at the U.S.-Mexico border.

And they insisted it’s the federal government’s unmet obligation to financially support city efforts to house and help documented workers find jobs.

“We’ve got to protect our citizens, because that’s what we’re here for,” said Carlsbad Mayor Bud Lewis.

Calling the summit in itself was significant as some cities, especially Encinitas and Carlsbad, have bitterly complained about the migrant problem for at least a year, but until now hadn’t sought a unified regional voice.

“The interesting thing here is the similarity of our problems and the fact we’ve never met and talked about them before,” said Encinitas City Councilwoman Anne Olmsted.

Council and staff members from Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido attended the forum, as did Rep. Ron Packard (R-Carlsbad), County Supervisor John MacDonald, and aides for other local state and federal representatives.

With Packard slightly on the defensive, several mayors argued that moving the existing Border Patrol checkpoint from near San Clemente to a few miles farther south and expanding it might stop more migrants from reaching Los Angeles, but would force them to remain in North County.

“We look at it as really moving the border up here,” said Oceanside Mayor Larry Bagley.

Lewis said he met with U.S. Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.), who supported bolstering the North County checkpoint. “The impression he left with us is the borders cannot be controlled and that North County will be the checkpoint for the area. That really upsets me,” said Lewis.

Packard, who has previously said he favors the checkpoint relocation, put the onus on the Immigration and Naturalization Service, saying the INS has told him the checkpoint is crucial.

He said Border Patrol agents “apprehend far more drugs and (illegal) vehicles and undocumented (migrants) at North County than at the border.” But he encouraged local officials to take their complaints to the INS.

Some city representatives were also emphatic that the federal government must provide funding so cities don’t shoulder the costs of providing shelter, hiring halls and other services to migrants.

Encinitas, to no avail, recently billed the federal government for more than $280,000, and Packard said he explored whether a class-action suit filed by cities would get the attention of Congress.

But he said such litigation probably would be legally weak and would bring negative political results, especially among members of Congress from other states who don’t understand the pressing migrant issue and aren’t inclined to appropriate funds to solve border problems.

Local officials were especially angry that there is unused funding under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, but that their cities can’t qualify for it because the grant criteria are based on health and educational considerations rather than housing and jobs.

“It’s just sitting there, that’s what bothers me,” said Carlsbad Mayor Pro Tem Ann Kulchin.