TRUMP ORDERS MORE CENTRAL VALLEY WATER DELIVERIES--CLAIMING IT WOULD HELP LA FIRES
CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters
Photo via Calif. Dept. of Water Resources: A drone provides a view of a section of the California Aqueduct within the California State Water Project, located near John R. Teerink Pumping Plant.
January 27, 2025 (Central Valley, Calif.) - President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Sunday that told federal agencies to “immediately take action” to deliver more Central Valley water and eliminate rules that stand in the way, including endangered species protections.
SVP TO BE CONDITIONALLY RELEASED TO HOME IN JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS
By Brooke Binkowski, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association
Photo: Herman Smith, San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept.
January 27, 2025 (Jacumba Hot Springs) - A man classified as a sexually violent predator — or SVP — will be conditionally released to a home in Jacumba Hot Springs, likely displacing another SVP who was placed in that same home two months ago.
LEMON GROVE CITY COUNCIL SHIFTS WINDOW ON TINY HOMES FEEDBACK
By Jessica Brodkin Webb
January 27, 2025 (Lemon Grove) -- Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow called the Jan. 21 City Council meeting “very light,” yet there was time enough for staunch resident pushback against a historically controversial tiny homes project which was not on the agenda.
SNOW FALLING IN EAST COUNTY MOUNTAINS
Photo by Craig S. Maxwell today: Snow in Rancho Cuyamaca State Park
January 27, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory idue to snow falling across San Diego’s mountain areas, with more snow possible tomorrow.
Areas impacted in the winter weather advisory range from high desert communities such as Campo and Jacumba north through Pine Valley, Descanso, Cuyamaca, Julian, Warner Springs and Mount Palomar.
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TROOPS ARRIVE AT BORDER AFTER TRUMP DECLARES BORDER EMERGENCY, AUTHORIZES MIGRANT SEIZURES IN SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND HOSPITALS
By Miriam Raftery
Photo: screenshot of aerial video by ECM news partner 10 News shows military troops with razor wire at a staging site in the South Bay, as troops prepare to deploy to fortify U.S. - Mexico Border and aid in Trump crackdown on border crossings.
January 26, 2025 (San Diego) – A tough crackdown on immigrants has begun, after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the Southern Border. On Thursday, 1,500 active-duty military troops have been deployed to patrol the borders in San Diego and San Antonio, Texas, with the first soldiers arriving Thursday. 10 News shot footage showing troops, including hundreds from Camp Pendleton, arriving at staging area in Imperial Beach along with concertina razor wire, tents, and military trucks.
Yet according to Associated Press, data doesn’t back up Trump’s contention of an “invasion” of immigrants. In fact, AP reports, “arrests for illegal border crossings plummeted more than 80% to about 47,000 in December from an all-time high of 250,000 the same period a year earlier. Arrests fell by about half when Mexican authorities increased enforcement within their own borders a year ago and by about half again when former President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June.”
Immigration sweeps have also begun across the nation, striking fear into immigrant communities as Border Patrol agents in some areas reportedly demanded documentation of everyone stopped, including citizens. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, told Fox News that ICE arrested over 308 “serious criminals” in the first 24 hours after Trump took office.
One day later, Newsweek reports, Trump’s Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman lifted a long-standing ban, now allowing ICE to target immigrants in sensitive locations including schools, churches and hospitals.
In addition to fortifying the border to block crossings by migrants, including many seeking asylum and fleeing violence or persecution, Trump's administration has disabled the app which formerly allowed asylum-seekers to apply online without crossing the border, effectively blocking all asylum efforts, NPR reports.
TRUMP BLOCKS FLIGHTS TO U.S. FOR APPROVED REFUGEES, INCLUDING U.S. MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS AND AFGHANS WHO HELPED OUR TROOPS
Impact has left refugee aid groups locally and nationally in shock
By Miriam Raftery
Photo via Pentagon: Troops evacuating Afghans after fall of Kabul
January 26, 2025 (San Diego) – Following an executive order issued by Donald Trump to suspend refugee resettlement, the Trump administration has cancelled all flights for over 10,000 refugees already approved to resettle in the United States. According to Associated Press. This includes over 1,660 Afghans who helped America’s military as well as relatives of active-duty U.S. military personnel, Reuters reports.
The impacts hit hard in San Diego County, which in recent years has resettled more refugees from around the world than any other county in the U.S. including refugees from Africa, Asia, war-torn Middle-Eastern countries such as Iraq and Syria, Ukraine and other European nations, Haitian refugees fleeing natural disasters, and many more.
“This executive order is a step backwards for America,” the International Rescue Committee states on its website, urging the Trump administration to reverse the order.
The Trump administration has taken down entirely the State Department's page on the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
CAL FIRE HOLDS BORDER 2 FIRE TO 6,625 ACRES AS RAIN AIDS EFFORTS, BUT MUDSLIDES ARE POSSIBLE RISK
By Miriam Raftery
Photo courtesy of Cal Fire
Update January 30,2025 10 a.m.-- All evacuation orders have been lifted. The fire is 100% contained.
Update January 29, 2025 9 a.m.-- The Border 2 Fire is now 90% contained, as rain helped firefighters' efforts. Cal Fire says there is no risk to the public or structure threats.
Update January 27, 2025 12 p.m.-- The overnight shelter at Cuyamaca College has closed. All evacuation warnings remai lifted. Some evacuation orders remain in effect in areas west of highway 94. For map, see: https://x.com/SDSheriff/status/1883974136143438278/photo/1.
Update 7:45 p.m. -- The fire is now 40% contained, per Cal Fire.
Update 5 p.m.-- All evacuation warnings have been lifted. Some evacuation orders remain in areas west of 94. Use caution when reentering, as firefighters are still at work.
Update 1 p.m.-- State Route 94 is reopened; evacuation notices for Dulzura, Honey Springs, and areas east of 94 have been lifted; these areas will be repopulated. Otay Lakes Rd. remains closed. To see maps of the affected areas, visit: emergencymap.sandiegocounty.gov/index.html and protect.genasys.com/fullscreenMap?.
January 26, 2025 8:30 a.m.— Firefighters held the #Border2Fire to 6,625 acres overnight and 10% contained. State Route 94 remains closed between Honey Springs Road and State Route 188.Tecate Rd. Evacuations remain in effect; view current evacuation areas: Genasys Evacuation Map. 1,117 personnel are fighting this fire.
Experts are looking at the soil in the fire’s perimeter to evaluate if there are any mudslide concerns and will work to mitigate those if they arise.
Cal Fire held a virtual community forum last night which can be viewed here. Cal Fire reports good progress on the fire, especially on the west side near Chula Vista Due to improved conditions, the Sheriff reports that jail visits will resume at the 3 Otay facilities.
On the east side and near Doghouse Junction, crews are constructing a containment line to prevent the fire from moving east towards Dulzura, Marron Valley, and Mexico.
.On the south side of the fire, there is some open line on the fire, but resources are working in arduous terrain to combat it. On the southwest side, ground crews and dozers continue to build line to prevent the fire’s spread.
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