(Alt Text Provided Below)
ALT TEXT
Commentary
Why San Diego
San Diego County is a hub for refugee reception and resettlement - what makes it so appealing?
PHOTO: SUNSET CLIFFS, SAN DIEGO
PHOTO TAKEN BY GABRIELLA RUIZ
For many people outside the country, the United States of America represents a chance at a “better life,” thanks in part to the tolerance and diversity of the population in comparison to other nations. According to UN statistics, over 3 million refugees from across the world have resettled in the United States, with about 29,000 resettling in 2022. While hotspots for refugee populations have always tended to be liberal leaning cities, San Diego county receives the most refugees of all counties in California (Aguilera, 2020) and, in 2023, has made its way to the top five counties for refugee receivement, according to some estimates. Census data found that about 22% of San Diego’s population is made up of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers (SanDiegoCounty.gov), and an unknown number of undocumented peoples seeking escape from violence and persecution reside in the county. Historically, San Diego has welcomed waves of refugees as conflicts erupted throughout the world. Today, it is home to large populations of refugees from Vietnam, Burma/Myanmar, Somalia, Palestine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and more. Most recently, a record number of 42,000 migrants, many who have entered the United States seeking asylum, have been dropped off in San Diego by border patrol agents (Robles, et al., 2023). While there is no doubt that there are many draws to San Diego county, what makes it so appealing to refugees? While there are likely dozens of factors, I will be reviewing three traits of San Diego that differentiate the county from other places in the United States, and make it a desirable place for refugees to utilize as a jumping off point for further migration or to resettle in.
Sanctuary Statuses
What is meant when a city, county, or state declares sanctuary status? According to the Lutheran Immigration Refugee Service, sanctuaries were created in response to the policies of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more colloquially known as ICE, due to perceptions that these anti-immigration policies are inhumane and at odds with doctrines of the United States. Sanctuaries either have object laws or unwritten standards that allow local law enforcement to ignore orders from ICE, which is not illegal on the federal level. California as a state and San Diego county have both individually declared sanctuary status, and San Diego county has retained this status since 2014 (Vaughan, Griffith, 2023). Especially for refugees traveling from or through Latin America, sanctuaries have made the difference between deportation and recognition of their escape from the tribulations of their home countries. United States Customs and Border Patrol have, just in the past year, ferried over 42,000 migrants from Texas and dropped them off in the San Diego county area “for unknown reasons,” according to their lack of response to questioning this decision (Robles et al., 2023). Perhaps it is due to the county’s sanctuary status, or the large number of organizations, charities, and aid already established in San Diego and surrounding cities, in comparison to other nearby Western cities. While it is unlikely that customs and border patrol have sped up the journey for these asylum seekers out of their kindness, San Diego county quickly mobilized a $3 million fund to handle the crisis, and luckily some infrastructure to help resettle refugees is already in place. It is possible that customs and border patrol hoped to overwhelm the county in some way, but most views on asylum seekers continue to remain positive in San Diego, with both officials and the general public.
Perceptions on Immigration in General
It is likely that the positive perception of immigration many Californians, and San Diegans, have on immigration has encouraged San Diego county to welcome so many refugees. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) conducts a statewide surgery each year, and includes questions surrounding Californian’s opinions on immigration and related topics. This survey has found that, consistently over the past decade, over 60% of Californian adults believe that immigration is a positive thing for California (Baldassare, 2023). With the overwhelming majority of the established population holding this belief, including 84% of registered Democrats (Baldassare, 2023), it is no wonder that California consistently ranks second as the state that houses the most refugees (Refugee Resettlement per Capita, 2023). Lawmakers handle situations based on their constituents’ beliefs, which is likely the reason for California state’s sanctuary status. San Diego has its own targeted laws to help refugees including being the first border county to provide free legal aid to detained immigrants seeking asylum (Ojeda, 2022) and declaring a humanitarian crisis for refugees arriving at the Southern US border (San Diego County Supervisors, 2023). Anecdotally, in comparing my home state of Arizona to California, the general sentiment of the Californian populace appears an even greater contender in the state’s overall treatment for refugees and immigrants. For reference, one survey of Arizonian adults found that 61% did not agree the state should be doing what it can to assist undocumented immigrants, including many that are seeking asylum, in crossing the border (Poll: Arizonians still, 2016).
Concluding Thoughts
San Diego has been a center for many refugee populations since the 1940s. While it has had spikes in refugee populations throughout the years as global events have displaced people, today San Diego receives the most refugees of any Californian city and is a new home for many. Reasons for San Diego’s importance and desirability for refugees is its status as a sanctuary county, the general populace’s good will towards immigration, and the many resources available to refugees once they arrive, along with a myriad of other factors. Immigration and immigrants have long been valued in the United States, and it is why our country, and San Diego, boasts the diversity that we have today. As a spectator, it has been interesting to see how the population that is seeking refugee status from the US changes the public's opinion on immigrants in general. While anti-immigrant sentiment has always existed, today’s conversation often finds black and brown individuals at the center of the debate, while other ethnic groups are able to escape some of this prejudice. I urge people to think about how immigration has shaped United States culture, especially those who hold patriotic and nationalist sentiments. There is a reason why this country is desirable to live in, and it would not have been possible without immigration. Similarly, refugees are seeking the same stability and safety that the ancestors of most US citizens sought when they arrived initially in the country, which is even more of a reason to lead conversations about refugees, immigration, and asylum seekers with empathy, not defensively.
Kommentare