(CNSNews.com) -- The local government of Murrietta, a city in Southern California, is speaking out against the federal government’s forced transfer of illegal immigrants from detainment centers in Texas to their local border patrol facility.
Expressing some consternation, Murrietta City Council member Randon Lane told local affiliate NBC4, “We have money to take them from Texas, fly them to San Diego, bus them up to Murietta, and then turn around and ship them off to some other place – we have the money to do that – we just don’t have the money to secure our borders? So, yes, it seems very odd.”
July 1, 2014 - 5:25 PM
By Brittany M. Hughes
CNSNews.com
The transfer is part of the federal government’s response to the massive wave of illegal immigrants who have been crossing the Rio Grande Valley Sector of the U.S.-Mexico since February. The Department of Homeland Security reports that more than 181,000 illegals have crossed since October 2013, far outpacing projections and with so sign of stopping anytime soon.
According to the NBC4, Murietta Mayor Alan Long has been adamantly opposed to the federal government’s decision to transfer illegal immigrants from their current detainment facilities in Texas to be “processed” at the Murietta location, calling the move an indication of a “failed system.”
"Clearly, this is a failed system that is spreading the cost and needed resources to handle these situations on the backs of local communities," Long said. "Nevertheless, we must react and put a plan in place."
Alan Long, mayor of Murrietta, Calif.
Long’s official Facebook page also details his opposition to the transfer. In a Monday afternoon post, the mayor placed the blame squarely on the federal government for burdening his city with the current immigration crisis, adding that this is not the first time relocating illegal aliens to Murrietta has been discussed.
“While the number and frequency of immigrants is less than the first notification, Murrieta is still opposed. Murrieta expects our federal government to enforce our laws, including the deportation of illegal immigrants caught crossing our borders, not disperse them into local communities. However, this decision was made by the federal government and is not within our local authority to change,” Long wrote.
According to NBC 4, only families will be transferred to the facility – no single adults who crossed the border alone. Those who come through Murrietta will already have phone numbers and addresses for family in the United States, where they will be sent after being processed, the report added.
Long was not the only Murietta government official to protest the transfer. In the report, City Council Member Randon Lane also criticized the move, calling it “odd.”
Murrietta City Council member Randon Lane. (Photo: NBC 4)
“We have money to take them from Texas, fly them into San Diego, bus them up to Murietta and then turn around and ship them off to some other place,” Lane said. “We have the money to do that, we just don’t have the money to secure our borders? So yes, it seems very odd.”
The illegal immigrants will pass through San Diego before arriving by bus at the Murrietta facility beginning Tuesday, July 1, the report said. The facility can process up to 25 immigrants per hour, and groups will be transferred to and passed through the facility once every 72 hours.
In his Facebook statement, Long sought to assure Murrietta residents that the local authorities would remain as on top of the situation as possible, primarily to ensure public safety.
“I have instructed our City Manager to establish Unified Command and create an Incident Action Plan (IAP) with multiple contingency plans and mutual aid. Safety and operational continuity between agencies is a top priority,” he said, adding that the “Murrieta [Police Department] is taking the lead and will incorporate resources into the IAP.”
“Again, Murrieta will remain safe! We will continue to communicate and monitor this situation and respond accordingly,” Long said.
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