A “minimum” of 125,000 migrants have been released from detention “without proper vetting” onto the streets of San Diego in just six months, according to a county leader.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond told The Post how Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents are “completely overwhelmed” by the surge of border crossings in Southern California — which he warns will have “dire consequences” for the rest of the country.
“Over 125,000 migrants have been dropped in San Diego County since September 2023,” he told The Post, citing figures he says were provided to his office by CBP.
“That’s just the minimum we know about and doesn’t include families, boat arrivals, or elderly people who are processed differently.
“The numbers have gone through the roof.”
According to Desmond, migrants are “just walking across the border unimpeded and no one is stopping them” because of a lack of resources.
This has been seen in areas such as Jacumba in the Western area of the county, where gaps in the border wall allowed streams of migrants to simply cross over into the US until recently, when authorities in Mexico stepped up patrols and enforcement.
According to Desmond, CBP also doesn’t have enough time or resources to properly vet people who cross the border illegally, and is releasing them from detention too quickly.
“It’s a national issue, as most people are released from detention within 24-48 hrs and [then] going elsewhere in the country – many to the East Coast,” he said.
CBP sources have previously told The Post that proper interview and vetting processes for migrants require around 72 hours before all checks can be completed.
Although most migrants head somewhere else, the impact on the city of San Diego is clearly visible.
Desmond said there is one migrant center, paid for by the federal government, but claimed there is “nowhere for [the majority] to go”, causing many migrants to “loiter” around the city.
“They’re being dropped off at a transit centre to get buses or trains in Southern California that doesn’t even have bathrooms or facilities,” he said.
Local media has previously reported some migrants have been seen relieving themselves in public spaces including car parks and on the streets of San Diego.
“People’s needs aren’t being met,” Desmond added.
“It needs to be a humane process.”
Groups of migrants are often found sleeping at San Diego Airport after being released from detention and waiting until they can get flights to their destinations elsewhere in the US.
The site has been frequently criticized by travelers on social media platforms saying it resembled a makeshift migrant shelter.
“Unfortunately, San Diego Airport now has become the de facto migrant shelter, where they sleep there,” Desmond said, estimating that around 90% of migrants continue to other US cities like Chicago, New York or Los Angeles.
CBP did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on Monday.
The San Diego sector saw an 85% increase in encounters in February compared to the same month last year, according to CBP data.
Agents there made more than 230,000 encounters during fiscal year 2023, a record 2024 is on track to surpass.
Once migrants step onto US soil, they are entitled to claim asylum if they surrender to Customs and Border Protection officers and prove to them they have a credible fear of being harmed if immediately returned to their home country.
The migrants and their bags are then inspected before being released into the US with a court date to pursue their asylum claims, according to current protocol.
Desmond warns the Biden adminstrations policies and the sheer number of migrants who present themselves at the border means proper vetting isn’t taken place, which he belives will have dire consequences.
“We don’t know exactly where [the migrants] are going, who they are, what their background is, or if they mean harm to us,” he added.
“There are people who should be on terror watch lists and we’re missing lots of them.
“I don’t blame the agents. I blame the Biden Administration and Homeland Security for not enforcing our laws.
“If seeking asylum, you’re supposed to be detained until that is found to have validity.
“We’re not doing that now,” he cautioned.
“We have already seen the preventable tragedy of Laken Riley; what will it take to secure our border?” Desmond asked, referring to the case of the case of the 22-year old Augusta University student who was killed while jogging near her campus in February.
The man arrested for allegedly bludgeoning Riley to death, Jose Ibarra, 26, is a Venezuelan migrant who was arrested and released by border patrol after less than 24 hours in custody in 2022, Immigration and Customs Enforcement insiders told The Post at the time. They also said was given parole and allowed to remain in the country until at least October 2024.
Ibarra remains in custody and his lawyers have requested a jury trial, according to local reports.
CBP has caught record numbers of migrants listed on the terror watchlist attempting to enter the US in recent years.
Between October 2023 and February, agents have already recorded 70 encounters at the southern and northern borders, according to federal data.
“We need to enforce our current laws so people can enter this country with dignity instead of coming illegally through a fence or a river,” Desmond added, referring to those who sneak across the borders.
Nearly 7.3 million encounters have been recorded at the border under President Biden — a number greater than the population of 36 individual states.
