The county of San Diego is seeking to build a migrant tent city on individually owned farmland to house “immigrants coming across the border,” according to an email reviewed by the Washington Examiner.
This is in addition to a mini-city constructed within the San Diego Convention Center last month, which welcomed 1,450 migrant children who came through the Texas border. On Tuesday, the county created a $5 million fund to provide free legal services for migrants to fight deportation.
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It’s not clear where the population would come from because the Biden administration has said the California border is closed.
The San Diego County Department of Agriculture, Weights, and Measures sent an email solicitation on Wednesday to approximately 100 ranchers and farmers asking for volunteers to rent their land on a long-term basis. The proposal would include providing “wrap-around” services, presumably similar to what the convention center provides, on-site meals, and medical, educational, and recreational services.
The email was made public by Reform California, a populist PAC that has a successful history of recalling far-left politicians and lobbying for limited government. Founder Carl DeMaio said he was contacted by three ranchers who received the email and were furious that the county would hatch such a plan and try to enlist them in their scheme, he said.
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“It’s a can of worms. They don’t want a huge tent city on their land,” DeMaio said. “The concern I have is that they will probably get someone who is greedy and will sell out. It will have all kinds of impact: a den of illegal activity, public health problems, and an environmental health hazard.”
The email reads in part: “To Our Valued Customers:
“The Calif. Department of Food & Agriculture is working with California Office of Emergency Services on finding and renting/leasing on a long-term basis any private, fallowed ag land to build a tent city in the county for the immigrants coming across the border. The State plans to provide wrap-around services as well.
“Please let us know … if you are interested.”
County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican, said he was shocked to learn of the plan.
“I am working with county staff to make sure this DOES NOT become a reality,” he said in a statement. “While the federal government needs a solution to the immigrants coming across the border, putting tent cities on agriculture land is not the solution.”
Agricultural land is not zoned as high-density housing, but DeMaio speculated that it would not stop the county Democrats from ramming through whatever fixes they need with their 3-2 majority.
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“They will change it from agricultural to shantytown,” DeMaio said. “We are trying to stop it with public pressure, but there may have to be a lawsuit filed. The problem is the courts are so slow to act, and it could be up and running in no time.”
