Migrant boat rocks Carlsbad
A panga boat filled with migrants slammed into the shore on Saturday and sparked outrage at the ongoing immigration crisis at the border
CARLSBAD — A panga boat racing across the ocean was caught smashing into a beach in Carlsbad Village on Saturday stunning witnesses and lifeguards.
Upon landing on the shore, an estimated 22 migrants sprang from the boat, according to a man who recorded the incident told ABC 10. They raced up to the street and hopped into a waiting SUV before driving off without a trace. Those not in the vehicle walked across Ocean Street and left soon after.
The brazen landing during the afternoon went viral on social media on Sunday and led to Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn, Supervisor Jim Desmond and other elected officials to hold a press conference (watch below) on Monday calling for action from the state and federal government to address the ongoing immigration crisis.
Desmond has been calling for action since September as more than 125,000 immigrants have illegally crossed the border, many seeking asylum, in San Diego County, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. Blackburn, meanwhile, said he was shocked at the speed of the boat racing through the water jeopardizing the safety of swimmers, surfers and others.
The suspected migrants raced past lifeguards and into the vehicles, which Blackburn and Desmond said appeared to be a “coordinated” effort to evade law enforcement.
“We saw another speeding boating racing to the shoreline,” he added. “It was a very coordinated effort and it’s happening more often than we’d like to see. We have no idea who they are, we have no idea where they are and these people have not been vetted at all. Being a sanctuary state, most people don’t realize this, is law enforcement in the state of California is not allowed to work immigration, Customs and Border Patrol and ICE.”
Desmond and Blackburn were joined by mayors Rebecca Jones and John Franklin of San Marcos and Vista, respectively, along with Oceanside Deputy Mayor Ryan Keim. Carlsbad Councilwoman Melanie Burkholder was also in attendance as were about 50 residents.
The video shows a boat slamming into the shoreline in Carlsbad on Saturday. At least 10 suspected migrants run from the boat to a vehicle on Ocean Street. Video by Rooted Wings.
Desmond, a Republican who represents District 5 on the Board of Supervisors, called for an end to sanctuary cities in California, strengthening border security, while Blackburn said one of the biggest hurdles is Senate Bill 54, which prohibits local law enforcement — police, sheriff deputies and highway patrol — from contacting or apprehending those suspected of crossing the border illegally and transferring them to Border Patrol or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Desmond stressed the issue is a federal one as the county has no authority to handle the influx of immigrants. He said the county allocated $6 million to SBCS — formerly known as South Bay Community Services — to provide food, phone charging, travel advice and other services at a welcome center.
However, the funding ran out in February and Border Patrol released hundreds of migrants at a bus stop in San Diego, according to reports. In addition, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has also approved a yearly budget allocation of $5 million to fund legal representation for cases regarding illegal immigration and undocumented individuals.
In addition to free legal services, California also provides Medi-Cal to all undocumented people ages 26-49. Also, Assembly Bill 1840, would expand a state loan program for first-time homebuyers to undocumented individuals. The home loan program provides low-income residents with 20% of a home’s purchase price up to $150,000 with the expectation a homeowner pays back the interest-free loan and a share of the appreciation value upon its sale, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Democrat Reps. Mike Levin (CA-49), Scott Peters (CA-50), Sara Jacobs (CA-51) and Juan Vargas (CA-52) announced on Friday they secured more than $39 million for the region’s Shelter and Services Program for non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The county and Catholic Diocese of San Diego County each received $19.5 million to assist with migrant arrivals and cannot be used for enforcement, according to Miles Himmel, Desmond’s communications director.
Himmel said the county did not apply for the federal funds, although the money is estimated to arrive by June, the source said.
The $39 million is part of a $300 million package announced Friday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to the Los Angeles Times. An additional $341 million will be available through a federal grant program, the Times reported.
“All migrants deserve to be treated humanely, and San Diego is striving to be the model for communities receiving migrants across the country. I’m proud that my colleagues and I in the San Diego delegation secured this critical funding, which will help ensure migrants are welcomed with dignity and respect,” Levin said in a statement. “This funding will help our local partners provide additional resources to meet migrants’ basic human needs and reduce the impact on the existing safety net, including on homeless shelters. While I welcome this announcement, I also know we have more work to do. Congress must pass the bipartisan border security agreement, which would in part provide additional SSP funds.”
Desmond, though, took aim at Congress calling on both Republicans and Democrats to work together to find a solution. He said the issue should be bipartisan as those crossing the border must be accounted for and go through the process legally.
Maritime human smuggling events have increased by 139% since 2020, Desmond said. He added the Border Patrol recorded 6,997 “encounters” between April 3-9, which was the most in the country. An encounter can be one or more people documented by law enforcement, but the total number of people is unknown.
The Border Patrol reported the arrest of about 34,000 migrants in San Diego in March, which is 11,000 more than in March 2023. Encounters in San Diego County increased by 69.5% in the same time frame, according to the report.
Oceanside saw at least 1,000 migrants dropped off at the Oceanside Transit Center last fall with an average of about 100 per day, a city representative told KPBS in February. The city is concerned about a new influx of migrants as those who came in the fall stretched city services thing, along with nonprofits such as the North County LGBTQ Resource Center and Interfaith Community Services.
Desmond, along with others, said because of the chaotic situation at the border, it is unknown who is coming across. Blackburn said he is hopeful it is just those seeking a better life, but couldn’t rule out human smuggling, drug, weapons or other illegal operations.
Levin, meanwhile, who represents Carlsbad in Congress, released a statement calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to bring H.R. 529, authored by Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) to the House floor for a vote. Levin said he met with the Border Patrol’s Air and Marine Operations unit last year to learn about the work to secure the country’s maritime borders and extending the U.S. customs waters.
He said he voted for a spending package to increase the resources of the Border Patrol but there is more work to be done in addressing the nation’s “broken” immigration system and support law enforcement.
The bill, meanwhile, would extend the customs waters of the U.S. from 12 nautical miles to 24.
“Last week, Speaker Johnson was unable to bring H.R. 529 to the House floor as originally planned because of chaos within the House Republican Conference. He needs to stop playing games and Republican politicians need to stop with the political theater. If Speaker Johnson and the Republican Party care about solving our immigration crisis, stopping the flow of illegal fentanyl, and securing our borders like they claim, then they must bring this bill to the floor immediately. We need bipartisan, pragmatic solutions. This is one of them. I look forward to voting in favor of this bill.”
Blackburn, a former Carlsbad police officer, said in his 30-plus years on the force and 16 on the City Council he’s never seen such an aggressive and shocking landing. He said typically a panga will be found on shore at South Ponto Beach, but those boats usually arrive at night and those migrants are long gone.
He said his phone was going off constantly on Saturday after video of the boat surfaced. Blackburn said it is unfortunate Carlsbad police, or other local law enforcement agencies, cannot engage and SB 54 must be changed to allow the authorities to help get a handle on the situation.
“When I first saw the video, I thought they’re not even caring about the people on the beach,” he added. “Then I thought, in the middle of a Saturday they’re not even trying to sneak in. It’s just got to the point where our laws are a joke to them. Then I realized what are the ramifications and where are these guys going to go?”
Press conference