September 21, 2023 • 8 mins
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond talks to Armstrong & Getty about the migrant crisis and how many cities across our nation are struggling to stay above water with the flood of migrants.
"It's not fair to the neighborhoods they're being dropped off in. It's not even fair to the migrants!"
- San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In an interview with NBC News in San Diego, Jim Desmond,
who is a supervisor for San Diego County, stated, we're
not the Immigration Department. We don't have these resources, and
he'd made it clear this is not a Republican or
Democrat problem, it's an American problem. Jim Desmond joins us now.
He is indeed the supervisor for District five San Diego County. Jim,
it's always great to talk.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
How are you hey, great, Thanks for having me on today.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
It's always a pleasure. So we heard from New York
there in Eagle Pass, Texas, among other places. What's the
situation in San Diego County in terms of the flood
of immigrants.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, in the last eight days here in San Diego County,
we've gotten over forty eight hundred people have been dropped off,
roughly five to six hundred per day, and our facilities
are overwhelmed and or at capacity. And these drops offs
are just happening at transit center. So the same with
(00:53):
transit centers, and so we have no idea until like
a couple hours before how many people are coming and
where the go being dropped off, and it's just overwhelming.
We don't have the resources or the facilities to accommodate
these people. It's not fair to the neighborhoods that they're
being dropped off. It's not even fair to the migrants.
They don't know how to use our transportation system and
(01:15):
what they're doing. So I think it's a failed immigration system.
That you know, if you have to climb under a
fence or over a fence or through a river to
get here, and then you get dropped off at a
transportation center without any resources or even bathrooms in some cases,
it's just chaos and it needs to be resolved. And well,
(01:35):
once you get your facilities a capacity, you stop. It's
like porn a glass of water. You don't just keep
pouring once the glass is full.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Well, and I realize you're about solutions, but I'm going
to gripe just a little bit. It strikes me that
what the federal government is doing is precisely what they
and many Democrat governors and other people around the country
were condemning, just viciously brutally when Greg Abbott or Ron
DeSantis was busting people to their jurisdiction. We just found
out about this a couple hours a couple of days ago,
(02:04):
we got these people showed up, we don't know what
to do with them. Now the federal government is doing
exactly that same.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Thing well, and the federal government's been doing it for
a long time, even before Abbott and the stances we're
doing that, so they've been doing it for a while.
It's just ramped up a lot more here recently, and
it's you know that our neighbors don't know what to do,
you know, what to do or how to feel or
what you know how to deal with these people, and
(02:29):
it's just become overwhelming. A lot of them move on,
a lot of them have sponsors throughout the country, and
that's kind of our main goal is help them move,
help them get to their sponsors, but some of them don't.
We're using homeless hotel vouchers for some of them, and
these are hotel vouchers that are supposed to be being
used for homeless people. But now we're having to use
resources to help to house some of these migrants that
(02:50):
are coming here, and we just don't have the resources
for the personnel to do this. This is the federal
government problem, and their system is broken, and neither side
really seems to want to fix it.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Right, So you said, it's not a Republican Democrat issue,
it's an everybody issue. And one of the things that
drives us crazy and has for years, is there is
a lot of agreement on this issue. It shouldn't be
that polarizing. I just brought up the latest Gallop polling
on this. Solid majorities of Americans think immigration is good
for the country, like close to seventy percent. But do
(03:23):
people think it's a crisis at the border? Almost forty
percent call us a crisis, thirty three percent called a
major problem, for a total of seventy two percent. So
most the vast majority of people are fine with immigration.
They think it's good for the country, but the vast
majority want to do something about the problem at the border.
So why can't we move on this.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Well, we got to let people into Congress and the
Senate that are willing to, you know, take this up
and make it an issue. It's kind of bittersweet, you know,
in Santygoo County, we're at the border, so we have
this issue constantly. But but it's good to see Chicago
and New York and other places are saying, hey, this
(04:05):
is affecting us now. Well, these are the policies that
your leaders have put in place. And when those policies
show up at your doorstep, now you don't like it, right?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I mean, I'm sure you know. I've gained some weight
from it's because the irony has been so delicious and
the hypocrisy is so sweet over the last several weeks,
and I've been enjoying it. That, yeah, exactly. That. Hearing
the mayor of New York say things that people have
been saying in San Diego and Eagle Pass, Texas for
like twenty five years is quite amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Well, in credit to the Babylon b for the headline
Democrats complaining immigrants are ruining their sanctuary cities. I mean,
it's just one more delicious, sweet cupcake of irony. So,
Jim Desmond of San Diego County Border Soups is on
the line, So you need federal help financing facilities, et cetera.
(04:55):
Is there any sign that they might be forthcoming?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Uh? No, And and we don't even know how many
you know where the end is in sight for the
for the releases that they're doing, do you, honestly do?
I really don't want their money so that we can
you know, do their job. I want them to do
their job, them to step it up, them to put
in the facilities and know when their limitations are met.
And then you stop letting people in for a while
(05:21):
and untill your capacity allows for more. You know, I
do think we all want to keep the bad people
out let the good people in. We got lots of
jobs available in this country. Most people are well meaning.
I would do the same thing if I were in
their shoes, and let's do it, do it humanly. Let
people give them a week time period. Hey, show up,
(05:42):
you and your family at this border patrol, at this
entry place. Well, you know process, you screen you and
and you know help you get to get on your way.
But it's just chaos right now. And I do think
the country is ready for it. It's just we got
to get the Congress.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
How difficult has it been to not call Eric Adams
New York and say and hang.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Up, well, I don't have I don't have his number,
But but it is Jack.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
That would not be productive, No, it wouldn't be productive.
It's it's it's going in the opposite direction of what
we're talking about here. And I apologize for bringing up.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
That's right, Jim Desmond A go ahead.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Well, I was gonna say. People have asked me, well,
why don't you sue the federal government and it's like
two government agencies suing each other. Is it's a huge
waste of tax dollars. Let's get people into these positions
that are willing to make these changes and and make
that happen, and make immigration a huge issue hopefully for
the this next election. Maybe maybe we'll get some results.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Michael, do you have our favorite Alejandro Majorcas clip at hand?
I'm confused on this point, Jim. The border is secure?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Jeez, what is he talking about?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
How does he get away with saying that?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Obviously he doesn't watch the news. Uh, you're seeing all
these people coming across, and you're seeing both sides finely
as the media reporting on this, which is good.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
That is good, And I'm curious. San Diego, one of
the great cities on Earth, has swung leftward in recent
years to our distress. Are you hearing similar sentiments on
both sides of the aisle just in San Diego County?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Unfortunately I'm sort of a lone voice here lately, really
a little bit, but not a lot. Well, it's you know,
they don't. They know Biden administrations and charges. People don't
want to you know, make their own party mad at
them for bringing these types of mess.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
But I see, I don't get it. I was talking
about it earlier and I'm continuing to look over the
gallop pulling. It's it's it's more stark than I even remembered.
People think this is a huge problem. It's a disaster
that it's not being handled correctly. Joe Biden's numbers are
in the toilet over immigration. What has he got to lose?
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I just well, and it's obviously not just party over country,
but party over local community, which is just shocking.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah, this is a federal government just not doing their
job and not taking control of the and treating people humanely.
I mean, this is not how when I went down
to the border when Title forty two is being lifted,
I looked across the fence and there was just the
hundreds of families and children and they all had, you know,
despair on their faces and trying to get over and
(08:23):
just trying to figure out the chaos. We needed just
a better system so the good people can come in,
we keep the bad people out. And then bent and
all in human trafficking. We can stop that as well.
It just seems like a good issue to you know
that this country needs to grapple with and do it soon.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Jim Desmond, the fifth District of San Diego County, is
a supervisor. Jim, good to talk to you. Keep fighting
a good fight.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Hey, thanks a lot, guys, I love listening to your podcast.
In an interview with NBC News in San Diego, Jim Desmond,
who is a supervisor for San Diego County, stated, we're
not the Immigration Department. We don't have these resources, and
he'd made it clear this is not a Republican or
Democrat problem, it's an American problem. Jim Desmond joins us now.
He is indeed the supervisor for District five San Diego County. Jim,
it's always great to talk.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
How are you hey, great, Thanks for having me on today.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
It's always a pleasure. So we heard from New York
there in Eagle Pass, Texas, among other places. What's the
situation in San Diego County in terms of the flood
of immigrants.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, in the last eight days here in San Diego County,
we've gotten over forty eight hundred people have been dropped off,
roughly five to six hundred per day, and our facilities
are overwhelmed and or at capacity. And these drops offs
are just happening at transit center. So the same with
(00:53):
transit centers, and so we have no idea until like
a couple hours before how many people are coming and
where the go being dropped off, and it's just overwhelming.
We don't have the resources or the facilities to accommodate
these people. It's not fair to the neighborhoods that they're
being dropped off. It's not even fair to the migrants.
They don't know how to use our transportation system and
(01:15):
what they're doing. So I think it's a failed immigration system.
That you know, if you have to climb under a
fence or over a fence or through a river to
get here, and then you get dropped off at a
transportation center without any resources or even bathrooms in some cases,
it's just chaos and it needs to be resolved. And well,
(01:35):
once you get your facilities a capacity, you stop. It's
like porn a glass of water. You don't just keep
pouring once the glass is full.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Well, and I realize you're about solutions, but I'm going
to gripe just a little bit. It strikes me that
what the federal government is doing is precisely what they
and many Democrat governors and other people around the country
were condemning, just viciously brutally when Greg Abbott or Ron
DeSantis was busting people to their jurisdiction. We just found
out about this a couple hours a couple of days ago,
(02:04):
we got these people showed up, we don't know what
to do with them. Now the federal government is doing
exactly that same.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Thing well, and the federal government's been doing it for
a long time, even before Abbott and the stances we're
doing that, so they've been doing it for a while.
It's just ramped up a lot more here recently, and
it's you know that our neighbors don't know what to do,
you know, what to do or how to feel or
what you know how to deal with these people, and
(02:29):
it's just become overwhelming. A lot of them move on,
a lot of them have sponsors throughout the country, and
that's kind of our main goal is help them move,
help them get to their sponsors, but some of them don't.
We're using homeless hotel vouchers for some of them, and
these are hotel vouchers that are supposed to be being
used for homeless people. But now we're having to use
resources to help to house some of these migrants that
(02:50):
are coming here, and we just don't have the resources
for the personnel to do this. This is the federal
government problem, and their system is broken, and neither side
really seems to want to fix it.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Right, So you said, it's not a Republican Democrat issue,
it's an everybody issue. And one of the things that
drives us crazy and has for years, is there is
a lot of agreement on this issue. It shouldn't be
that polarizing. I just brought up the latest Gallop polling
on this. Solid majorities of Americans think immigration is good
for the country, like close to seventy percent. But do
(03:23):
people think it's a crisis at the border? Almost forty
percent call us a crisis, thirty three percent called a
major problem, for a total of seventy two percent. So
most the vast majority of people are fine with immigration.
They think it's good for the country, but the vast
majority want to do something about the problem at the border.
So why can't we move on this.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Well, we got to let people into Congress and the
Senate that are willing to, you know, take this up
and make it an issue. It's kind of bittersweet, you know,
in Santygoo County, we're at the border, so we have
this issue constantly. But but it's good to see Chicago
and New York and other places are saying, hey, this
(04:05):
is affecting us now. Well, these are the policies that
your leaders have put in place. And when those policies
show up at your doorstep, now you don't like it, right?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I mean, I'm sure you know. I've gained some weight
from it's because the irony has been so delicious and
the hypocrisy is so sweet over the last several weeks,
and I've been enjoying it. That, yeah, exactly. That. Hearing
the mayor of New York say things that people have
been saying in San Diego and Eagle Pass, Texas for
like twenty five years is quite amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Well, in credit to the Babylon b for the headline
Democrats complaining immigrants are ruining their sanctuary cities. I mean,
it's just one more delicious, sweet cupcake of irony. So,
Jim Desmond of San Diego County Border Soups is on
the line, So you need federal help financing facilities, et cetera.
(04:55):
Is there any sign that they might be forthcoming?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Uh? No, And and we don't even know how many
you know where the end is in sight for the
for the releases that they're doing, do you, honestly do?
I really don't want their money so that we can
you know, do their job. I want them to do
their job, them to step it up, them to put
in the facilities and know when their limitations are met.
And then you stop letting people in for a while
(05:21):
and untill your capacity allows for more. You know, I
do think we all want to keep the bad people
out let the good people in. We got lots of
jobs available in this country. Most people are well meaning.
I would do the same thing if I were in
their shoes, and let's do it, do it humanly. Let
people give them a week time period. Hey, show up,
(05:42):
you and your family at this border patrol, at this
entry place. Well, you know process, you screen you and
and you know help you get to get on your way.
But it's just chaos right now. And I do think
the country is ready for it. It's just we got
to get the Congress.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
How difficult has it been to not call Eric Adams
New York and say and hang.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Up, well, I don't have I don't have his number,
But but it is Jack.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
That would not be productive, No, it wouldn't be productive.
It's it's it's going in the opposite direction of what
we're talking about here. And I apologize for bringing up.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
That's right, Jim Desmond A go ahead.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Well, I was gonna say. People have asked me, well,
why don't you sue the federal government and it's like
two government agencies suing each other. Is it's a huge
waste of tax dollars. Let's get people into these positions
that are willing to make these changes and and make
that happen, and make immigration a huge issue hopefully for
the this next election. Maybe maybe we'll get some results.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Michael, do you have our favorite Alejandro Majorcas clip at hand?
I'm confused on this point, Jim. The border is secure?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Jeez, what is he talking about?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
How does he get away with saying that?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Obviously he doesn't watch the news. Uh, you're seeing all
these people coming across, and you're seeing both sides finely
as the media reporting on this, which is good.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
That is good, And I'm curious. San Diego, one of
the great cities on Earth, has swung leftward in recent
years to our distress. Are you hearing similar sentiments on
both sides of the aisle just in San Diego County?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Unfortunately I'm sort of a lone voice here lately, really
a little bit, but not a lot. Well, it's you know,
they don't. They know Biden administrations and charges. People don't
want to you know, make their own party mad at
them for bringing these types of mess.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
But I see, I don't get it. I was talking
about it earlier and I'm continuing to look over the
gallop pulling. It's it's it's more stark than I even remembered.
People think this is a huge problem. It's a disaster
that it's not being handled correctly. Joe Biden's numbers are
in the toilet over immigration. What has he got to lose?
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I just well, and it's obviously not just party over country,
but party over local community, which is just shocking.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah, this is a federal government just not doing their
job and not taking control of the and treating people humanely.
I mean, this is not how when I went down
to the border when Title forty two is being lifted,
I looked across the fence and there was just the
hundreds of families and children and they all had, you know,
despair on their faces and trying to get over and
(08:23):
just trying to figure out the chaos. We needed just
a better system so the good people can come in,
we keep the bad people out. And then bent and
all in human trafficking. We can stop that as well.
It just seems like a good issue to you know
that this country needs to grapple with and do it soon.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Jim Desmond, the fifth District of San Diego County, is
a supervisor. Jim, good to talk to you. Keep fighting
a good fight.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Hey, thanks a lot, guys, I love listening to your podcast.
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