U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

El Cajon pushing for state to look deeper at SB 54

By Karen Pearlman

March 19, 2026 (El Cajon) — A deepening rift between local autonomy and state mandate is in the spotlight in El Cajon after Mayor Bill Wells sent a letter to the attorney general earlier this week.
 
The El Cajon City Council, already divided since a 2025 resolution giving support to cooperating with federal immigration authorities to remove undocumented immigrants convicted of major crimes, continues to stay fractured.
 
A letter dated March 17, 2026 from Wells to California Attorney General Rob Bonta marks the city’s latest challenge to Senate Bill 54 from 2017, the California Values Act, which the Mayor alleges has created a legal "Catch-22" that endangers vulnerable children.
 
The letter said that the city is "concerned that California's suite of sanctuary policies represent an intentional effort by California to encourage illegal aliens to reside in the state (unlawfully)."
 
The letter said that California laws "provide economic incentives for illegal aliens to reside in California without fear of deportation. It is in this regard that these policies run afoul of federal criminal law."

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La Mesa Conversations to host panel on immigration enforcement and local response

East County News Service
 
March 18, 2026 (La Mesa) -- As the national conversation surrounding immigration enforcement continues to intensify, local community leaders are working to provide clarity.
 
On Monday, March 23, the group La Mesa Conversations will host a public panel titled “Community Responses to Immigration Enforcement: Standing with Our Neighbors.”
 
The event, which is free and open to the public, will provide an opportunity for people to share information about the complex federal issue and examine its impact on families, schools, businesses and houses of worship. The discussion is featuring a diverse cross-section of local leadership, reflecting how immigration enforcement touches various facets of civic life.
 
The panel includes:
 
Mariah Jameson, community representative for San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe; Christian DeMent: pastor at La Mesa First United Methodist Church; Erin Tsurumoto Grassi: Associate Director of Alliance San Diego; Krystle Johnson, a special education teacher and community activist; and Brianna Coston, trustee for the La Mesa–Spring Valley School Board.

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Escondido City Council looking at showdown over ICE training contract

Scrrenshot, left, of Escondido City Council meeting from Feb. 18 courtesy city of Escondido website video
 
By Karen Pearlman
 
Feb. 24, 2026 (Escondido) -- The city of Escondido is bracing for a charged City Council meeting tomorrow (Feb. 25), as elected officials prepare to publicly look at a quietly renewed agreement allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to train at a city-owned firing range — a contract some say they never knew existed.
 
The open session part of the meeting starts at 5 p.m. at  first item on the City Council agenda is a presentation by Escondido Chief of Police Ken Plunkett, which will center around the Escondido Police Department firing range and corresponding contracts.
 
Before the City Council meeting at Escondido City Council Chambers, 201 North Broadway in Escondido, a rally and press conference led by Escondido Indivisible is scheduled for outside City Hall asking the city to cancel the contract with ICE.

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