(NewsNation) — A San Diego official says the “same chaos that’s been happening at the border” is also unfolding along the city’s coastline.
San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond’s comments come after a group of migrants were seen on video driving a speedboat onto a San Diego beach.
“I talked to somebody familiar with the salvage company and they said that they pick up about four boats a week that are just abandoned on our beaches,” Desmond said.
The city’s options are limited because local police can’t enforce federal immigration matters.
“Law enforcement is forbidden from enforcing any immigration laws,” he said. “So even if the police were right behind that car that picked up all those people, there’s no reason from them to stop that car unless they were speeding or running a traffic light or something like that. If it’s just an immigration issue our local law enforcement can’t do a thing.”
The number of maritime smuggling events off the California coast increased from 308 in 2020 to 736 in 2023, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond told Reuters, citing U.S. data.
