Rep. Mike Levin Visits Otay Mesa Border Facility to Examine Impact of Presidential Executive Action on Asylum Seekers
Watch Rep. Levin Video Remarks Here
Otay Mesa, CA – This week, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) visited the Otay Mesa soft-sided migrant processing facility in San Diego County to examine first-hand how President Biden’s June 2024 executive action on asylum seekers is affecting the situation at the border.
“I saw that the President’s executive action is making a positive difference on the ground. Recent data has made clear that crossings are down, apprehensions have been cut in half, and street releases have zeroed,” said Rep. Levin. “There is more work to do, but what I saw at the facility and what I heard from Border Patrol leadership is encouraging.”
During the visit, Rep. Levin received an assessment from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Border Patrol leadership on the impact of the executive action. Key takeaways include:
- Migrant encounters in San Diego dropped by 21% in June, compared to the previous month.
- Earlier this spring, U.S. Border Patrol in the San Diego Sector was apprehending about 1,200 people daily – now, that number has dropped to roughly 600 apprehensions daily.
- Migrant street releases have dropped to zero for the last three weeks.
Success has been driven by increased consequences for crossing illegally, improved cooperation with the Mexican government, and support from local non-governmental organizations. The reduction in numbers at Otay Mesa has fostered a positive ripple effect and enabled Border Patrol to resume operations at the San Clemente and Murietta checkpoints. As such, Border Patrol agents have increased targeted enforcement of vehicles suspected of smuggling drugs and other contraband.
“The agents and officers of CBP and Border Patrol are doing important work under very difficult circumstances. They deserve our respect and gratitude. We must continue to retain and recruit strong talent to enhance our immigration system and maintain border security,” said Rep. Levin.
Rep. Levin learned that more staff, increased salaries, and improved incentives are needed to match what is paid to colleagues doing similar jobs in other sectors.
Although the President’s executive action has made a tremendous difference, there are still challenges to ensure our border is secure and our immigration system is effective and efficient. Bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform and border security legislation is necessary.
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