January 2025

East County News Service

Image: Creative Commons via Bing

January 23, 2025 (San Diego) - A woman, along with an incarcerated person, have been arrested on suspicion of mailing drug-laced letters to a San Diego County jail, says Sergeant Aaron Brooks with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Detention Investigations Unit.

Deputies assigned to the Sheriff's Mail Processing Center intercepted fictitious legal mail intended for Aaron Beek, 45, who is in custody at the George Bailey Detention Facility in Otay Mesa. Upon closer inspection, deputies located materials they believed to be soaked with narcotics. 

The Sheriff's Detention Investigations Unit (DIU) began a criminal investigation, which identified Jacqueline Richardson, 44, as responsible for mailing the packages containing the drugs to Beek at the George Bailey Detention Facility.

On January 16, DIU Detectives served a search warrant at Richardson's home in San Diego. During the search, detectives found evidence related to the mail case and additional narcotics such as powdered fentanyl, M30 fentanyl pills and methamphetamine.

Richardson was arrested on numerous charges, including sending a controlled substance into jail and possession of a controlled substance. She was booked into the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee. 

Beek, who remains in Sheriff's custody, was rearrested on criminal charges related to sending a controlled substance into jail.

Sending a controlled substance into a jail is a felony with a penalty of up to six years in custody.

By Miriam Raftery

January 23, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – A federal judge appointed by conservative Ronald Reagan called President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship “blatantly unconstitutional.” U.S. District Judge John Coughenour issued a temporary restraining order to block the order from taking effect, Associated Press (AP) reports. The case was filed by Washington state and others. Plaintiffs argued that the Constitution’s 14th Amendment and Supreme Court case law have cemented birthright citizenship, KQED reports.  The judge’s order applies nationwide, while this and other cases are litigated and appealed. A total of five lawsuits have been filed over the issue by 22 states including California, as well as by immigrant rights groups and the American Civil Liberties Union.

“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” Coughenour said during the hearing, CNN reported.

Trump’s order seeks to end citizenship from being issued to children born in the U.S. if the parents are not in the U.S. legally In addition, his order would prohibit citizenship from children born to a mother who is in the U.S. on a temporary and legal basis, such as student, work, or tourist visas, unless the father is a citizen or lawful permanent resident. The order would take effect in 30 days, on Feb. 19, and apply to children born on or after that date.

The order is in direct contradiction to the U.S. Constitution’s 14^th amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” Trump’s order contends that children of undocumented immigrants as well as children born to mothers here on a temporary basis are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S.

The 14^th amendment was adopted after the Supreme Court’s ruling in the controversial Dred Scott v. Sandford case back in 1857, in which justices held that children of slaves were not entitled to citizenship. After passage of the 14^th Amendment, a later Supreme Court case in 1898 ruled that Wong Kim Ark, an American citizen born in San Francisco, was wrongly denied reentry to the U.S. after a trip abroad and affirmed the Chinese-American man’s right to citizenship.

View our prior coverage of Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order: 

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/trump-defies-constitution-orders-birthright-citizenship-end-lawsuits-filed-block-implementation

By Wendy Fry, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Saul Muñoz, 53, waits for any job opportunities in front of a Home Depot in San Diego on Jan. 20, 2025. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

January 23, 2025 (San Diego) - Undocumented immigrants and their California families braced for the worst — and many told CalMatters they would go underground — as newly sworn-in President Donald Trump began issuing executive orders to enable what he promises will be the most massive deportation in U.S. history. 

“It’s draining my energy a lot, thinking of what’s going to happen and not knowing exactly what’s going to happen with me and my family and my daughters,” said Frank, a resident of northeastern Los Angeles who asked to be identified only by his first name because of his ongoing immigration case. 

The Republican president also said he planned to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy in place during his first term, which forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their U.S. court hearings to present their immigration cases. 

 

“I will end the practice of ‘catch and release,’ and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country,” he continued. 

 

As expected, he issued an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. “And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks …” he said.

 

And he signed yet another order to revoke birthright citizenship — the right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing citizenship to anyone born in the country or its territories regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Trump wants the Supreme Court to reinterpret the provision.

 

Eighteen states, including California, filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Massachusetts Tuesday, challenging the order on grounds that it violates the Fourteenth Amendment and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

 

“I am deeply disappointed that we’re here, and also not at all surprised,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta at a press conference. “This isn’t some theoretical legal disagreement. It would strip Americans of their most basic rights.”

 

Bonta and the other attorneys general are asking the court for an immediate injunction to stop the order from taking effect on Feb. 19 while they litigate the case. Bonta acknowledged that the case could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

“As president of the United States, you have a lot of authority,” Bonta said, “but it is not unlimited.”

 

By late afternoon Monday on the West Coast, several hundred protesters began marching from San Diego’s Balboa Park to the Hall of Justice, chanting, “When immigrant lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!”

 

“I’m worried about migrant people because this will be really hard for the next four years. It was before too, when Trump had power the last time. It was really crazy for us right there on the border, and we expect the same thing right now or worse,” said Alejandro Ortigoza, 50, the leader of Armadillos Busqueda y Rescate, a group that goes out into the desert to search for the remains of missing migrants. 

 

Yet even as the new president was declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, people whose lives straddle it mostly carried on with business as usual.

 

Lighter than normal foot traffic continued through the “pedestrian east” crossing at San Ysidro as people calmly headed for the trolley under the familiar noise of a helicopter circling above. 

 

In the Home Depot parking lot in Imperial Beach, day laborers gathered as they usually do, seeking odd jobs helping San Diegans move or clean up their lawns. They said they cross the border every day from their homes in Tijuana and didn’t expect  Trump’s executive orders would heavily affect them. Still, several planned to carry documents proving they are naturalized U.S. citizens everywhere they go.

 

“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Juan, a 60-year-old from Sinaloa, Mexico, and a naturalized U.S. citizen who lives in Tijuana and crosses the border daily to work. “It’s not convenient for the U.S., nor for Mexico, to close the border. It won’t benefit either country.” 

 

“I think Trump is very racist….and he’s not right in the head,” he added. 

 

Juan declined to give his last name out of fear of retaliation or harassment for sharing his negative opinion about the president. He keeps proof of his legal status ready. “I always bring my certification, saying I’m naturalized everywhere I go. I have it in my backpack always.”

 

Photos, right:  First: Workers wait for job opportunities in front of a Home Depot in San Diego on Jan. 20, 2025. Last: Travelers walk towards the Mexico entrance of the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego on Jan. 20, 2025. Photos by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

 

Saúl Muñoz, a 53-year-old construction worker who lives in the Otay area of Tijuana, predicted an increase in human rights violations under Trump. 

 

“If they remove all the (people who are) undocumented, then yes, we’re going to have more work, but they’re going to want to pay the same as they did before, they’re going to want to pay us less,” said Muñoz. “So, really, who is going to benefit?”

 

“Throughout the Trump administration, we’re going to see horrors in terms of the attacks that immigrant communities are going to suffer. President Trump will put 5.1 million U.S. citizen children at risk of family separation,” said Kerri Talbot, co-executive director of the Immigration Hub, a national pro-immigrant advocacy group based in D.C.

 

The most recent New York Times / Ipsos poll of Americans, conducted earlier in January, found that 55% either strongly or somewhat support mass deportations of people living in the United States without authorization.

 

Public support for deportation was even stronger in certain circumstances: 87% of those surveyed backed deporting those who are “here illegally and have criminal records,” and 63% backed removing those who are “here illegally and arrived over the last four years.”

 

But just 41% of those surveyed supported ending “birthright citizenship for children born to immigrants who are here illegally.” And only 34% wanted to stop deportation protections for “immigrants who were children when they entered the country illegally.”

 

It’s not like Trump’s actions today hadn’t been telegraphed far in advance — on the campaign trail, he repeatedly promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. By the end of last week, Trump’s Incoming “border czar,” Tom Homan, was telling Fox News that large-scale raids are set to begin as soon as Tuesday.

 

“There’s gonna be big raids all across the country. Chicago is just one of many places,” said Homan, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “On Tuesday, you’re going to expect ICE … ICE is finally going to go out and do their job. We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest ‘criminal aliens.’ That’s what’s going to happen.” 

 

The administration’s plans are likely to encounter significant legal challenges and logistical obstacles, including the challenge of housing millions of detainees before they can be removed. 

 

Threatening to yank California’s federal funds — again

 

One of Trump’s immigration orders today also threatened to pull federal money from “sanctuary jurisdictions” that limit collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies.

 

A third of California’s budget relies on federal dollars.

 

“The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, to the maximum extent possible under law, evaluate and undertake any lawful actions to ensure that so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions, which seek to interfere with the lawful exercise of Federal law enforcement operations, do not receive access to Federal funds,” one order states. “Further, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall evaluate and undertake any other lawful actions, criminal or civil, that they deem warranted based on any such jurisdiction’s practices that interfere with the enforcement of Federal law.”

 

The returning president has long derided California for declaring itself a “sanctuary state” for undocumented immigrants – a move the Democratic-controlled Legislature made during his first term — but the reality is more nuanced. Known here as the California Values Act, the law exempts from its protections people convicted of violent crimes or serious offenses such as felony drunk driving, for example, and allows California state prisons to regularly coordinate with ICE about upcoming release dates for prisoners eligible for deportation.

 

California went to court during Trump’s first term to beat back his intent to withhold a few federal grants from the state for its failure to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. In 2018, a federal judge ruled in California’s favor, saying the president’s move was unconstitutional. 

 

In December, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to prohibit county agencies from using local resources to assist federal immigration enforcement, including cooperation with ICE. But San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez said she will not comply with the county’s new policy, saying the county board does not set policy for her department.  

 

Days before Christmas, a conservative organization led by Trump adviser Stephen Miller sent letters to California leaders and former San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas warning they could go to prison over sanctuary policies that protect undocumented residents.

 

Homan has said he plans to target not just people with criminal records but anyone who may be nearby. 

 

“You’re going to concentrate on the worst first, public safety threats first. But no one’s off the table. If they’re in the country illegally, they’ve got a problem,” Homan said on Fox News this weekend. 

 

In San Diego, local organizations have been holding private “Know Your Rights” events in the months since Trump’s election. 

 

Gina Amato Lough, the directing attorney for Public Counsel’s Immigrants’ Rights Project in Los Angeles, stressed that constitutional rights apply to everyone, whether they are in the country legally or not. 

 

“I do think it’s really important for people to exercise their constitutional rights,” she said. “If you’re at home and ICE shows up at your door, you don’t have to open the door.” 

 

In another case among the exhaustive list of California legal challenges to the first Trump administration, the University of California in 2020 prevailed in a suit that preserved the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. The program’s purpose: to shield from deportation immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children. 

 

Economic impact

 

Trump’s executive orders are expected to have financial and economic impacts, costing billions of dollars and disrupting local communities while doing little to address real immigration challenges, advocates warned. Advocates and academics cautioned Trump’s pledged policies will ultimately weaken the country by undermining the contributions of immigrant communities.

 

“Economically, the entire country is going to be deeply affected negatively,” said Cecilia Menjívar, a professor of sociology at UCLA. “I think it’s super important to recognize that it’s not only undocumented immigrants we’re talking about. Lawful permanent residents, naturalized citizens, all immigrant labor, all immigrants, all foreign-born, contribute vitally to critical sectors of the entire economy of the country: health, services, hospitality, care for children, care for the elderly, high tech, you name it.” 

 

“Importantly, for California, recovery from disasters: It’s immigrants who clean up and rebuild,” Menjívar added. 

 

The California Welcoming Task Force, a binational coalition of immigration organizations active in the border region, estimated the removal of 7 to 8 million undocumented workers in the U.S. would exacerbate already-worsening labor shortages. 

 

Photo, left: people wait outside the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego on Jan. 20, 2025. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

 

“The impact on numerous industries, such as construction, agriculture, healthcare and hospitality, would be catastrophic,” the group wrote in an email today. “A deportation effort of this scale would also cost hundreds of billions of dollars in California alone, with millions more spent annually to fund immoral and unsafe detention camps.” 

 

On the south side of the border

 

At a protest in the Mexican city of Tijuana on Sunday, activists hung anti-Trump signs and a Trump piñata along the border wall at Playas de Tijuana. Earlier, students from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California of Ensenada painted hearts and messages of love and acceptance on the steel bollards of the border wall.  

 

Trump ended the Biden administration’s CBP One, a mobile application that allows migrants outside the U.S. to request an asylum appointment at a port of entry. CBS News reported about 270,000 migrants are waiting in northern Mexico, hoping to get an appointment or make their appointment before Trump cancels the program. 

 

Cutting off their legal pathway may lead to an increase in irregular crossings, border experts warned. During the last Trump administration, makeshift encampments formed along the border as migrants waiting to cross into the United States became increasingly desperate, lacking food, water, shelter and being targeted by criminal groups in northern Mexico. That led to an increase in people making more desperate attempts to cross the border in more dangerous ways. 

 

Nigel Duara contributed to this story.

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

U.S. News & World Report highlights SDSU’s growing reputation for excellence in online education master’s programs.

By Michael Klitzing, SDSU News

January 23, 2025 (San Diego) - Anaiz Moreno (left) always knew she wanted to go for a master’s degree, but she never imagined it would be happening so soon. After all, the high school English teacher only recently earned her credential from San Diego State University’s School of Teacher Education, in December 2023.

By Miriam Raftery

November 29, 2024 (Pine Valley) – Camp Christmas in Pine Valley is back, with dazzling lighting displays and more from 5:30 to p.m. Nov. 29-30, Dec. 1, Dec. 6-8, and Dec. 13-22.  Visitors to Camp Christmas, located in a mountain community in San Diego's East County, will see thousands of computerized lights strung on trees and a spectacular water show,  both synchronized to holiday music.

There’s also hayrides, a bounce house, laser tag, archery, food,  live entertainment, and a talking Christmas tree, a Nativity presentation, Camp Christmas train rides, a children’s playground, climbing wall, face painting, gift shop, and more.

Food options include a buffet, barbecue dinners, snack bar, sweet treats, and more.

Pine Valley gets chilly in winter, so be sure to bundle up!

For reservations and details, visit  https://pinevalleycampchristmas.com/

By Jonathan Goetz

January 9, 2024 (El Cajon) – January happenings include a film festival in Borrego Springs—ideal if you like the desert without the heat—as well as opportunities to see raptors up close in Ramona,  take a group hike up Cowles Mountain, watch a thriller at Lamplighters Theatre in La Mesa, or network with veterans in Santee.

Scroll down for details on these entertaining options.

WAIT UNTIL DARK IN LA MESA JAN. 10-FEB. 2

Lamplighters Theatre in La Mesa will present this updated twist on the classic Wait Until Dark thriller starting this weekend through February 2. The plot focuses on a blind woman trapped in an apartment with three men, then realizing that her blindness holds the key to escaping if she waits until after dark.  Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., except on Saturday, January 18, there will be a 2 p.m. matinee only.

For tickets, visit https://www.lamplighterslamesa.com

HAWK WATCH EACH SATURDAY IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

The Wildlife Research Institute in Ramona invites you to Hawk Watch each Saturday in January and February at 10 a.m. at Begent Ranch, 18528 Highland Valley Rd, in Ramona. 

Arrive at 9:30 for coffee and donuts, then enjoy the free program that includes Q&A with a raptor and her or his handler. The event begins with an educational biologist’s talk plus a Q&A session with falconry or ambassador raptors and a demonstration of a raptor in flight.  Later you can opt to drive a 2-mile route on paved roads to observe wild raptors, including a Bald Eagle nest. Biologists and volunteers will help you spot and identify birds and view them through their high-powered professional telescopes.

For more information, visit https://www.wildlife-research.org/hawkwatch

EXPLORE COWLES MOUNTAIN JAN 14

Join the Santee Teen Center staff and participants for a hike up the backside of Cowles Mountain on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. The hike will start at the Santee Teen Center at Big Rock Park, located at 8125 Arlette Street, Santee, CA 92071. This 90-minute hike is rated as difficult, so be prepared for a challenging yet rewarding experience. Exploring the local trails offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with nature, relax, recharge, and get active.

Please wear walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. The event is open to all ages, but children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Participation is free, but advanced registration is required. In case of adverse weather conditions, the hike may be canceled, and registrants will be notified. So, put on your walking shoes, grab a water bottle, and come explore Cowles Mountain.

Register online with the City of Santee.

BORREGO FILM FESTIVAL JAN 15-19

The Borrego Film Festival takes place January 15-19 in Borrego Springs, showcasing independent films. The event also features a filmmaker networking event, catered opening gala, panel discussions, filmmaker activities, Saturday party, red-carpet event, and catered awards ceremony.

For a list of films, see: https://www.borregospringsfilmfestival.org/2025films

For tickets and full details, visit https://www.borregospringsfilmfestival.org/

VETERANS COFFEE CONNECT EVENT JAN 16

Join Veterans of East County Alliance at the Santee VFW Post 9327 (8516 N Magnolia Ave. Santee, CA 92071) on Thursday January 16 between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to connect with veteran-owned and veteran-friendly businesses. Register to attend at the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce’s website.

January 9, 2024 (El Cajon) – January happenings include a film festival in Borrego Springs—ideal if you like the desert without the heat—as well as opportunities to see raptors up close in Ramona,  take a group hike up Cowles Mountain, watch a thriller at Lamplighters Theatre in La Mesa, or network with veterans in Santee.

Scroll down for details on these entertaining options.

WAIT UNTIL DARK IN LA MESA JAN. 10-FEB. 2

Lamplighters Theatre in La Mesa will present this updated twist on the classic Wait Until Dark thriller starting this weekend through February 2. The plot focuses on a blind woman trapped in an apartment with three men, then realizing that her blindness holds the key to escaping if she waits until after dark.  Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., except on Saturday, January 18, there will be a 2 p.m. matinee only.

For tickets, visit https://www.lamplighterslamesa.com

HAWK WATCH EACH SATURDAY IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

The Wildlife Research Institute in Ramona invites you to Hawk Watch each Saturday in January and February at 10 a.m. at Begent Ranch, 18528 Highland Valley Rd, in Ramona. 

Arrive at 9:30 for coffee and donuts, then enjoy the free program that includes Q&A with a raptor and her or his handler. The event begins with an educational biologist’s talk plus a Q&A session with falconry or ambassador raptors and a demonstration of a raptor in flight.  Later you can opt to drive a 2-mile route on paved roads to observe wild raptors, including a Bald Eagle nest. Biologists and volunteers will help you spot and identify birds and view them through their high-powered professional telescopes.

For more information, visit https://www.wildlife-research.org/hawkwatch

EXPLORE COWLES MOUNTAIN JAN 14

Join the Santee Teen Center staff and participants for a hike up the backside of Cowles Mountain on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. The hike will start at the Santee Teen Center at Big Rock Park, located at 8125 Arlette Street, Santee, CA 92071. This 90-minute hike is rated as difficult, so be prepared for a challenging yet rewarding experience. Exploring the local trails offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with nature, relax, recharge, and get active.

Please wear walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. The event is open to all ages, but children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Participation is free, but advanced registration is required. In case of adverse weather conditions, the hike may be canceled, and registrants will be notified. So, put on your walking shoes, grab a water bottle, and come explore Cowles Mountain.

Register online with the City of Santee.

BORREGO FILM FESTIVAL JAN 15-19

The Borrego Film Festival takes place January 15-19 in Borrego Springs, showcasing independent films. The event also features a filmmaker networking event, catered opening gala, panel discussions, filmmaker activities, Saturday party, red-carpet event, and catered awards ceremony.

For a list of films, see: https://www.borregospringsfilmfestival.org/2025films

For tickets and full details, visit https://www.borregospringsfilmfestival.org/

VETERANS COFFEE CONNECT EVENT JAN 16

Join Veterans of East County Alliance at the Santee VFW Post 9327 (8516 N Magnolia Ave. Santee, CA 92071) on Thursday January 16 between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to connect with veteran-owned and veteran-friendly businesses. Register to attend at the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce’s website.