News

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Source:  City of El Cajon

April 1, 2025 (El Cajon) - The City of El Cajon is excited to announce the launch of a new online dashboard, providing residents with real-time updates on the progress of the City Council’s 2025 Action Plan. This innovative tool offers transparency and insight into the City’s priorities and ongoing initiatives. Residents can explore the dashboard at https://www.elcajon.gov/your-government/elected-officials/2025-city-council-action-plan 

"We believe government works best when residents have direct access to information about how their city is serving them," said City Manager Graham Mitchell. "This dashboard provides an easy-to-use, transparent view of the progress we’re making on the initiatives outlined in our City Council Action Plan."

 The 2025 City Council Action Plan reflects El Cajon’s commitment to enhancing public safety, improving infrastructure, fostering economic development, addressing the impacts of homelessness, and supporting community well-being. The dashboard will be updated regularly to reflect progress and ensure accountability.

 Residents are encouraged to explore the dashboard, provide feedback, and stay engaged with the City’s ongoing efforts. For more information, visit www.elcajon.gov.

 For more information, contact Chris Berg, El Cajon’s Marketing and Engagement Manager, at 619.441.1511 or cberg@elcajon.gov(link sends e-mail).

Mayor Snow presented proclamation to Roberto Alvarez, son of plaintiff in landmark legal case

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By Karen Pearlman

Photo:  mural artist Mario Chacon, by Christina Alvarez

April 1, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – Mario Chacon stood near the mural he painted three years ago with two assistants in Lemon Grove, and paused to give some thought on what the artwork represents.

The mural on the side of the building at 7963 Broadway depicts the story of one of the first historic successful public school desegregation cases in the United States.

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“It was remarkable to me that here in one generation they tried to deny access to education, to a whole generation of children,” Chacon said. “And then one generation later, the son of the litigant is now a professor at UC San Diego.”

Twenty-three years before the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case changed the trajectory of educational facilities and ended state-sponsored segregation, Mexican-American parents challenged the Lemon Grove School District’s attempt to segregate their children.

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Called “Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District,” the case is also referred to The Lemon Grove Incident.

Chacon’s artwork shows the grammar school at the center of the fight, and someone sending children to another school. Another part of the mural shares the names of all the schoolchildren who were involved in the case. There are depictions of newspapers telling the stories of the day, women in a packing house and a banner depicting the first farmworkers union.

There’s also a courtroom scene showing a student at a witness stand.

Chacon shared his thoughts on Sunday, March 30, where a crowd of nearly 100 people showed up at the site of the mural to celebrate the 94^th anniversary of the event.

“I learned about the case many, many years ago when I was in college,” Chacon said. “It’s always been in the back of my mind this this this thing is practically forgotten, but so important.”

Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow presented a proclamation to Alvarez’s son, Roberto Alvarez Jr., who is a researcher and director of the Center for Global California Studies at UC San Diego.

Alvarez Jr. shared the story of the litigation and spoke to the crowd about how other school desegregation cases came before (and have come since) The Lemon Grove Incident. He said he was proud of the legacy of his father, their classmates and the adults who spoke on their behalf and mentioned the principal at the time Jerome Green, who was eventually let go.

He said the name of every child who was involved in the legal case.

“They had that courage to stand up and fight back during a very, very vicious and violent period of time,” Alvarez said.

Photo, right by Karen Pearlman: Roberto Alvarez, son of the original plaintiff in the case ending segregation in the Lemon Grove School District, speaks to a crowd March 30 in front of artist Mario Chacon’s mural.

Roberto Alvarez Jr.’s father was in fifth grade at Lemon Grove Grammar School when he became the face of and the lead representative of the landmark case.

The senior Alvarez went on in 1950 to found Coast Citrus Distributors, a San Diego-headquartered wholesale fruit and vegetable business still operating in California, Texas, Florida and five locations in Mexico.

Grace Communion Lemon Grove church opens meeting space at mural site

Grace Communion Lemon Grove, a local church, hosted the event at its new home at the venue where Chacon’s mural is located.

Called “The Neighborhood,” GC Lemon Grove’s venue has meeting space and will host local events including book clubs, workshops, paining events, trivia and board game nights and more, seeking to help neighbors connect with neighbors.

Plans show the space will open later this summer.

GC Lemon Grove Pastor Anne Stapleton shared some thoughts about Alvarez and also plans for the site where the mural is located.

She mentioned how “The Neighborhood” was exactly the right name for the spot. Parents of the students who were involved in the court case in 1931 formed Comite de Vecinos de Lemon Grove – or the Lemon Grove Neighbors Committee.

“We are going to carry on the tradition of being in the neighborhood, and we are going to see that all people are equal and we stand up for people who don’t have a voice,” Stapleton said. “That’s what we’re all about.”

Photo, left by Karen Pearlman: Pastors Mark and Anne Stapleton of Grace Communion Lemon Grove, on the site where a mural depicts the Lemon Grove Incident, speak to those gathered March 30 to celebrate  the landmark legal decision that ended school segregation in Lemon Grove.

Stapleton asked anyone who was in attendance who is related to anyone painted on the mural or mentioned on the mural to stand up, and about 20 people rose. They were roundly applauded by others in attendance.

Residential customers will receive the first two installments of bill credits this month; electric and gas-bill credits total more than $200 per household for 2025. 

Source:  SDG&E

March 31, 2025 (San Diego) - San Diego Gas & Electric® residential customers will get a break on their energy bill, thanks to the California Climate Credit administered by the California Public Utilities Commission as a result of the state’s effort to fight climate change. In April, residential electric customers and qualifying small businesses(link is external) will see a $81.38 credit on their statement. Residential customers with natural gas will also receive a $54.21 credit on the same statement.  

By Miriam Raftery

March 30, 2025 (Lakeside) – Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call reporting that a toddler was not breathing last night at 8:53 p.m. in the11600 block of Camino Del Tierra, Lakeside.

“Deputies from the Lakeside substation and paramedics from the Lakeside Fire Department arrived and performed life saving measures on the toddler,” says Lieutenant Patrick Fox. The toddler was transported to the hospital, where the child tragically passed away. 

Detectives are diligently gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and examining the circumstances surrounding this death. The cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330/after hours at (858) 868-3200.  You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

By Miriam Raftery

March 29, 2025 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Councilmember Laura Lothian will host a town hall community discussion on a battery storage facility proposed on El Paso St. The town hall will take place Wednesday, April 9 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Brew Coffee Spot, 6101 Lake Murray Blvd.

Heartland Fire Chief Brent Koch, Heartland Acting Fire Marshall Rebecca Winscott, and La Msa Director of Community Development Lynette Santos will also participate in the discussion.

Battery storage facilities are key to expanding renewable energy production such as wind and solar energy, enabling power to be utilized even when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow.

But lithium ion battery storage facilites have also sparked fires, most notably a fire at a large battery storage site in Otay Mesa, where some nearby businesses had to evacuate for two weeks.

La Mesa City Manager Greg Humora has said that the proposed La Mesa site would be smaller and compartmentalized, with other safeguards to reduce fire risk, as ECM reported.

But the La Mesa site is directly adjacent to homes, with shopping and businesses also close by, raising concerns from residents and property owners over potential negative impacts.

The town hall is an opportunity for area residents to ask questions and learn more.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of Sky 10 via ABC 10 News, an ECM news partner

March 28, 2025 (El Cajon) – Federal immigration authorities raided the San Diego Powder and Protective Coatings company on Magnolia Ave. in El Cajon yesterday afternoon.  A search warrant accuses the company of hiring undocumented workers, as well as fraud and misuse of visas, ECM news partner 10 News reports.

Shawn Gibson, ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge of San Diego, said agents arrested fewer than 20 people while executing a criminal search warrant. The arrests included administration arrests for violation of immigration laws as well as criminal arrests.

Employees told KPBS that around 50 workers were handcuffed and forced to stand in the sun, with requests for water denied, while agents verified immigration status of each person. U.S. citizens were later freed to leave, while others were taken into custody and face potential deportation.

Blanca Corona told KPBS that her husband, a youth soccer coach and the family’s primary wage earner was detained. “We have four kids,” she said, holding back tears.  Corona said she and her children are citizens and that the family had hired a lawyer to help her husband adjust his status, but he was arrested anyway.

According  Cto 10 News, agents with Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, along with what appeared to be several other law enforcement agencies, participated in the enforcement sweep. 

The action is part of a nationwide crackdown on undocumented immigrants carried out by the Trump administration. 

A spokesperson for Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, whose district includes El Cajon, said her office has sent inquiries to ICE and DHS to learn more and to assure that people’s rights and due process are being followed.

Serious questions over mistreatment of deported immigrants have been raised. 

The Trump administration deported some to the infamous prison at Guantanamo Bay, but later returned those detainees to facilities in the U.S. following protests and a Congressional oversight visit. Some may be returned to their home countries or to other nations.

Recently, the Trump administration sent some migrants, allegedly violent Venezuelan gang members, to a prison in El Salvador infamous for human rights abuses. The administration officials defied a judge’s order to turn planes around that were flying migrants to El Salvador, amid concerns over due process rights violations. The judge is weighing contempt of court charges against administration officials. 

Meanwhile the Trump Justice Dept. has asked the Supreme Court to intervene to allow the deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

Attendees object to Congressional Republicans ceding authority to executive branch

View video of the March 23 "Empty Chair Town Hall

By Karen Pearlman

Screenshot:  Crowd chants "Shame" over Issa's refusal to hold a town hall in his district.

 March 28, 2025 (Escondido) – Hundreds of constituents in Republican Congressional Rep. Darrell Issa’s district gathered at an “Empty Chair Town Hall” event at the California Center for the Arts on Sunday, March 23.

A standing-room only crowd in the venue that holds about 400 people expressed a variety of concerns about everything from healthcare needs and veterans’ services to immigration and education. The event was also live-streamed on social media.

Created to bring attention to what they say is Issa’s penchant to avoid meeting constituents in a Town Hall format, the event was organized by Indivisible North County San Diego.

Indivisible North County San Diego is part of a national nonprofit group. Indivisible and calls itself a social movement organization for those interested in working with others to take positive action for progressive values. It seeks to create an open-minded future, and believes in “protecting our values, our neighbors and ourselves” through mounting a resistance to the Trump agenda.

Indivisible North County San Diego says its resistance is built on values of inclusion, tolerance, fairness and non-violent action, and works in cooperation with other local groups that support its goals and objectives.

The audience listened to Allison Gill, a podcaster and owner of MSW Media, Inc., and five community leaders speak as well as try to answer questions that would have been directed at Issa.

“Darrell Issa, step back, my freedom is protected by the constitution,” Gill said. “My government that you and Elon Musk are trying to sledgehammer is protected by laws and Congress.”

The panelists with Mills were Escondido Deputy Mayor Consuelo Martinez, Vista Unified School District Board Member Cipriano Vargas, Danny Jackson, Max Disposti (founder and Executive Director of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center) and Joe Houde. A man in a chicken mask reflected the group's claim that Issa is "chicken" for avoiding holding a Town Hall.

The Empty Chair Town Hall was part of a nationwide effort encouraged by Indivisible National during the congressional recess from March 13-23. The national Indivisible group is also spearheading a protest set for noon on April 5 at the Civic Center in downtown San Diego.

Attendees at the local March 23 event said they were looking for answers about why Republicans in Congress seem to have forgotten that there are three branches of government and have ceded their authority to the Executive Branch.

Constituent Randy James asked, “Please explain to me and those in the 48^th Congressional District why you’re changing opinion and monetary gains from Russia for Russians’ support… and removing support from for Ukraine. How does that help us in the 48^th District? How does that help the U.S. and our 80-year-old international alliance?”

Physician and scientist Dr. Steve Shrewsbury said, “I had a whole list of questions… but the question that I’ve been asked to pose to Darrell is, ‘Do you support the indiscriminate apprehension of undocumented migrant workers who keep California agriculture?’ They make up they make up 50 to 70 percent of farmer thought according to January 2025 figures… ‘Where do you propose these workers be shipped to and who will replace them in keeping Southern California agriculture and construction running? These migrants generate… $23 billion each year to the state. How do you propose these losses will be made up?’ ”

Others asked why Issa is in favor of cutting thousands of jobs, what is going on with DOGE (The Department of Government Efficiency) that has eliminated some agencies and implemented mass firings at others, and why the government feels it has to slash billions of dollars from the Department of Health and Human Services, which manages Medicaid.

Audience members said they wanted to know why Issa doesn’t appear to support “Dreamers” and those in DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to some but doesn’t offer a path to citizenship). Several said it seems that Issa has forgotten that America is made up of immigrants and others felt Issa is rubber stamping orders from President Donald Trump.

Those at the two-hour event were adamant that their collective voice and individual voices are not being heard by Issa nor the current administration in Washington, D.C.

Martinez, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, told those in attendance “I’m really happy that you’re all here to do your part so we can build a powerful movement in our region in order to challenge the craziness that is happening in D.C. I really believe that everything starts local and so that’s where I begin my fight and I’m here to be a resource and support all of you.”

Indivisible North County San Diego spokesperson Pamela Albergo said that Issa hadn’t held a Town Hall since 2017, “but the concerns of his constituents haven't gone away.”

The Times of San Diego reports that San Diego’s four other Congressional members -- all Democrats -- have not held live Town Halls in the past year either, though Rep. Sara Jacobs plans a live townhall April 22 in El Cajon.

Issa’s constituents say they have reached out to his office, but have been turned away.

Issa represents the 48^th Congressional District, which encompasses some of East County and all of the Mountain Empire areas of San Diego County as well as part of southwestern Riverside County.

Issa’s 48^th district includes the cities of Santee, Poway and northern Escondido. It also covers a wide swath of county areas including Alpine, Bonsall, Borrego Springs, Bostonia, Boulevard, Campo, Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, Crest, Descanso, Fallbrook, Granite Hills, Jacumba, Jamul, Lakeside, Mount Laguna, Pine Valley, Potrero, Ramona, Rancho San Diego, Valley Center and Winter Gardens.

The 48^th also includes Temecula and Murrieta in Riverside County.

Asked about the Town Hall event, Issa did not respond for an official comment, but Jonathan Wilcox, communications director for the congressmen, said that in his more than 30 years of experience, Town Halls are very hit or miss for constituents.

“Constituents over the years have told us the format didn’t work for them -- not able to ask a question, not able to stand in line for a longer time, etc.,” Wilcox said. “Years ago, I think they were more common; nowadays we have so many ways to reach district residents. I think it’s a good mix.”

Wilcox said that of callers who contact Issa’s office about Town Halls, only about one of every 50 callers asks about them.

Issa also has done two “mobile offices,” as a way to reach people who are in areas not close to population centers, Wilcox said.

Wilcox also noted that “at the Vietnam-era veterans pinnings we did a while back, I’d say Rep. Issa personally met and spoke with at least 800 constituents. How many Town Halls would we need to do to have one-on-one conversations with 800 constituents?”

Gill said that Issa, who is a veteran, says on his webpage, “ ‘I love veterans… veterans are the backbone of this country.’ ”

“Then why are you helping slash 83,000 jobs from the Department of Veterans affairs?” Gill asked rhetorically. “Why are you helping gut the federal government that we built by the way? This is not a bloated government. We’ve been working on a skeleton crew for  50 years because of the Republicans like Darrell Issa… Darrell Issa doesn’t care about us.”

Claire Strong is a senior consultant for Galvanized Strategies, a company that provides strategic public affairs consulting and leadership services, and focuses on marketing, communications, government affairs, community engagement and executive leadership.

Strong said that “empty chair” events make a strong statement, but traditional Town Halls, where all parties are present, are far more productive for resolving issues.

“In my experience moderating contentious public meetings, I’ve seen how direct, face-to-face dialogue creates understanding and encourages real solutions, something an empty chair situation simply can't facilitate,” Strong said.

“Town Halls allow people on both sides of an issue to feel seen and heard, which is essential when it comes to addressing community concerns. When everyone is in the room, it leads to more constructive outcomes, while the absence of one side can have the opposite effect.”

By Karen Pearlman

March 27, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) --  Public water utility entity Helix Water District isn’t just about water – it’s also about energy, power and air.

On Tuesday, the district with roots dating back to 1885 got on board with the future, breaking ground at its El Cajon operations center as part of the district’s transition to a zero-emission vehicle fleet through electrification.

The $11 million electrification project will install nearly 90 high-speed vehicle chargers at the district’s operations center.

Helix Water District is transitioning 86 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and installing nearly six megawatts of charging infrastructure aligns with San Diego Gas & Electric’s mission to support public agencies and fleet operators in meeting California’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation and local climate action plan goals.

The estimated completion date is April 2026 – and the project is thought to be the first of its kind in California, Helix officials say.

Helix is collaborating with San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, SDG&E, a Disadvantaged Community EV Charger Rebate program and other crucial strategic allies for funding and expertise during the process of installing the electrical capacity and charging infrastructure needed for the transition.

The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District is the local government agency charged with improving the air quality in San Diego County to protect public health.

The district is electrifying its vehicle fleet to meet the state of California’s advanced clean fleet requirements. The district says it will be able to complete this project almost entirely without impacting water rates.

In 2024, the State of California’s advanced clean fleet regulation required that 50% of all new medium and heavy-duty vehicles purchased by public agencies be zero emission vehicles. That number increases to 100% in 2027.

With the regulation, public agencies will need to deploy charging infrastructure that will power their new fleets for both daily and emergency operations use.

The charging stations will not only serve the district’s fleet but will also be available to surrounding agencies to utilize during emergencies and as they work through challenges and costs to electrify their own fleets.

“As a local public agency, we must comply with state regulations and this project needs to move forward now to take advantage of financial incentives,” said Helix Water District Board Member Mark Gracyk.

“We’re not doing this reluctantly. (Helix has) already reduced our energy use by 15 percent and our carbon footprint by 40 percent. This project will be a model for other agencies working to electrify their fleets and help the cities we serve meet their climate action plan goals.” 

The Helix operations center in El Cajon houses the majority of the district’s fleet, which transports crews responsible for the maintenance of 742 miles of pipeline, valves, hydrants and meters for its nearly 280,000 customers.

The project has been funded in part with nearly $9 million through grants and rebates, and supports neighboring public agencies as they work toward the electrification of their own vehicle fleets.

Helix received a $5.2 million grant from the SDCACPD, a $2.2 million grant from SDG&E’s “Power Your Drive for Fleets” program and an additional $1.5 million through the Disadvantaged Community Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program. The district will fund the remaining $2 million.

By Karen Pearlman

Photo by Emma Palmer: San Diego County Building Industry Association CEO Lori Pfeiler; Lucas Coleman, Director of World Trade Center San Diego; and San Diego City Councilman Raul Campillo.

March 26, 2025 (San Diego) -- One week ahead of plans by President Donald Trump to put a 25 percent additional tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, as well as a 10 percent tariff on imports from China, San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo and local business leaders  warned of severe economic consequences for the San Diego County region.

Trump said he is taking the action to hold Mexico, Canada and China accountable to their promise to halt illegal immigration and stopping fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into the United States.

Chair of the city of San Diego’s Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Campillo, who represents the Seventh Council District of San Diego (including the Navajo area neighborhoods of San Carlos, Allied Gardens, Del Cerro and Grantville) shared his concerns at a Wednesday afternoon press conference.

Joined by business leaders from different San Diego industries expecting to be affected by the tariffs, Campillo urged the federal administration to reverse course before the tariffs stand to damage local businesses and housing affordability.

The tariffs will impact industries that include manufacturing construction and healthcare, plus trade.

Campillo and business leaders are urging the current administration to pursue alternative solutions that would strengthen American industries without hurting consumers.

“San Diego thrives because of trade,” Campillo said.

“From our small businesses and manufacturers to our healthcare providers and construction industry, we depend on strong economic partnerships with Mexico, Canada and beyond. These tariffs threaten the economic stability of our region, putting jobs at risk, raising prices on everyday goods, and making it even harder for working families to afford to live here.”

Economic experts predict that the coming tariffs are expected to cost the average American household up to $2,000 more per year. San Diego families will be among the hardest hit because of an already high cost of living.

While trade accounts for 67 percent of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product, 73 percent of Mexico’s GDP and 37 percent of China’s GDP, it accounts for only 24 percent of U.S. GDP, according to The White House.

The White House reports that in 2023, the U.S. trade deficit in goods was the world’s largest at over $1 trillion.

Campillo said Trump is calling April 2 “Liberation Day,” and said, “let’s be honest -- there’s nothing liberating about raising prices on hardworking San Diegans and putting local jobs at risk.”

Campillo said the tariffs will threaten everything from groceries to housing to healthcare costs -- at a time when many families are already struggling.

He said the issue “is not about partisan politics -- it’s about protecting San Diego’s economy.”

“As an elected representative, I am standing with San Diego’s business community to say loud and clear -- this trade war is reckless, and it must stop,” Campillo said.

San Diego’s geographic position and close ties with Mexico make the region particularly vulnerable to economic instability caused by tariffs.

With $63 billion in imports and $33 billion in exports flowing through San Diego (2023 statistics), new trade restrictions could create severe economic disruptions.

San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Vice President of International and Public Affairs, Kenia Zamarripa said that tariffs “create unnecessary economic barriers that disrupt cross-border trade, increase costs for businesses and threaten jobs in our region.”

Zamarripa noted that San Diego thrives on seamless trade with Mexico – the region’s top trading partner.

“These tariffs will harm businesses of all sizes,” Zamarripa said.

One particular industry that is expected to be hit hard from the tariffs is housing construction. The cost of materials is expected to rise dramatically with the changes, potentially worsening San Diego’s housing crisis.

San Diego County Building Industry Association CEO Lori Pfeiler said that the new tariffs on America’s largest trading partners – Mexico, Canada and China -- are projected to raise the cost of imported construction materials by more than $3 billion, increasing the price of a new home by $7,500 to $10,000.

“That’s exactly the wrong approach, especially in San Diego, where we’re already facing a severe housing affordability crisis,” Pfeiler said. “We urge President Trump to roll back these tariffs to help build more housing, not less.”

Last November Trump said the tariff will remain in effect until “drugs, in particular fentanyl, and illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country.”

By Karen Pearlman

Photo:  Rabbi Scott Meltzer said his synagogue in San Diego has twice been vandalized with antisemitic graffiti.   

March 26, 2025 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon City Council took a step toward condemning hate by unanimously voting for a resolution to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Antisemitism.

The City Council’s 5-0 vote Tuesday afternoon came on the heels of 40 public speakers weighing in on the resolution to condemn antisemitism, introduced earlier this month by El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and Councilman Gary Kendrick.

“Antisemitism reared its ugly head again with the murder of 1,200 innocent men, women, children and babies by Hamas on October 7^th," Kendrick said, referring to the U.S.-designated terrorist group’s attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.  “I have several Jewish friends who are afraid to go out in public. Jewish students have been attacked at colleges. This hate must stop. This resolution is a small step in that process.”

The IHRA’s definition of antisemitism will be used as an education resource for police and other departments in the city of El Cajon.

It reads: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

The resolution includes contemporary examples of antisemitism, adopted by the IHRA on May 26, 2016, as an important tool to address antisemitism.

Wells said he was sent a social media post from a group that calls itself the “Jewish Voice for Peace,” which accused the mayor of intending to give orders to the city’s police department “to arrest anybody for a hate crime” for making a statement negative about Israel, which Wells said wasn’t true.

Public speaker Spenser Little (right) said he didn’t agree with the resolution and felt it was an unfair “application of language” and an attempt to stop criticism of Israel. He spoke of the city’s large number of refugees from the Middle East who have emigrated to America to get away from violence.

“El Cajon’s full of children that are from war-torn countries watching this happen in another country, and now they can’t speak their mind freely… and the freedom of speech to say what’s happening right in front of them,” Little said. “The silencing of the community to not talk about what the truth is, (what is) happening, is what concerns me.”

Speaker Tina Bernard (left), who said she converted to Judaism many years ago, said that those opposing this definition are doing it “because they want to continue their behaviors unchecked.”

Bernard said that the Jewish community and others “deserve a clear definition that protects against hate, safeguarding not just Jews but the values of mutual respect and co- existence that underpin our western democracy.

“It helps our line between free speech and hate crimes --and that line has gotten way too blurred lately.”

Another speaker, Julie Litman, called adopting the IHRA language of antisemitism “not simply a symbolic act -- it’s a moral imperative.”

“Antisemitism is a present-day crisis and it’s growing,” Litman said. “Jewish communities, like all others, deserve to feel safe, respected and valued, and when we let hate go unchallenged and when we let prejudice and false accusations fester, we all suffer.”

Litman said the IHRA verbiage sends a clear message that hate will not be tolerated, “no matter what it takes, and we’re ensuring that the next generation grows up in a community that stands up against injustice and stands with those who face discrimination.

“It’s more than just about the Jewish community, it’s about our shared humanity and it’s about making El Cajon a place where everybody, regardless of their background, can live in peace.”

Julia Gomez (right), interim managing director of the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial counties, said her group had sent a letter to the City Council urging a no vote on the resolution on antisemitism.

“The First Amendment applies to all of us, including those whose positions do not align with their with their government’s political stances,” Gomez said. “Any attempt to silence their voices is patently undemocratic. The ACLU staunchly defends their rights to criticize domestic and foreign governments. The IHRA definition on anti-Semitism is overbroad and incorrectly equates protected political speech with discrimination.”

Some speakers spoke to conflating anti-Zionism -- or opposition to the Israeli state -- with antisemitism, which is the discrimination, violence or dehumanizing action toward Jews.

Jose Cortes said he was “really disappointed to see how easy and very quickly we’re moving our proposal that really kind of exceeds the scope of the local City Council.”

Cortes said the resolution “kind of reduces and kind of divorces the genuine anti-Semitism that’s happening even here in El Cajon as recently as July from the very real systems that also affect Islamophobia, racism, homophobia (and) transphobia.”

While some public speakers at the meeting shared concerns that the resolution would chill free speech, Councilman Steve Goble said he didn’t think that was the case.

The resolution also mentions the city’s commitment to protecting freedom of speech and expression.

“We need to protect people who feel threatened by their very existence,” Goble said.

Rabbi Scott Meltzer of Ohr Shalom Synagogue in the Bankers Hill area of San Diego encouraged people to read the working definition of antisemitism and read the city’s resolution.

“While criticism of Israel is sincere and legitimate in all places where it is sincere and legitimate, it cannot be used as an opportunity for antisemitism,” Meltzer said. “That is rather than people being falsely accused of antisemitic comments when they criticize Israel, we are now finding that antisemitism is being given to the community couched as anti-Israel rhetoric.

“Just recently my synagogue twice was vandalized.  Clearly, vandalizing the synagogue is an antisemitic act and the comments that were made on all the buildings were anti-Israel comments.”

City Manager Graham Mitchell said the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism will “address antisemitism and all other forms of discrimination directed toward anyone within El Cajon.”

Mitchell said the resolution references the city’s diverse population and calls for nondiscrimination against all, including minority groups, refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers.

Although statistics on antisemitic acts in El Cajon were not available, and numbers for 2024 not tabulated, the Anti-Defamation League reported that the greater San Diego area recorded 108 incidents of antisemitic assault, vandalism and harassment in 2023, soaring to 200 percent above the previous record of 36 in 2022.

The numbers reflect a global trend as Jewish communities worldwide face have faced heightened tensions and hatred in response to the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre and ongoing conflict – as seen on college campuses, in public areas and at anti-Israel demonstrations.

Alberto Mansur (left), a Mexican-American Jew, told the city council that “being a Jew is easy… until it’s not easy.”

“It’s not easy when people hate you for being a Jew,” Mansur said. “Not because of who you are but because of what you are. Being a Jew is being hated from both the left and from the right… Adopting (the IHRA verbiage) is crucial in saving our Jewish communities from violence and discrimination especially in light of rising antisemitism today.”

The dramatic spike of antisemitic acts in San Diego included 58 incidents post-Oct. 7, 2023 (during the last 85 days of the year).  The San Diego region has about 100,000 Jews, making up about 3 percent of the greater population, according to the American Jewish Committee.

The ADL also reports that antisemitic incidents across the U.S. have skyrocketed 360 percent in the aftermath of the attack in Israel.  With a population of about 6.3 million, Jews make up about 2 percent of the total U.S. population.

Nicole Murray-Ramirez of the San Diego Human Relations Commission, said that “hate crimes against the Jewish community is at an all-time high.”

“Jewish students are not safe at our region’s colleges and universities, and have been threatened and harassed,” said Murray-Ramirez, who added that he also has been discriminated against as a Latino Catholic man. “Nazi hate material has been plastered around Jewish neighborhoods and temples threatening children and families. In my over 16 years of state, county and city service, I’ve never witnessed such hate as that toward the Jewish community and now more than ever, we need the IHRA definition.”