San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond shared images on X showing dozens of migrants being corralled and boarding a plane to be transported out of state. “You may see this plane next time you're at the San Diego Airport,” Desmond wrote. “Every other day, this plane transports migrants from San Diego to McAllen, Texas, because Border Patrol facilities in San Diego are over capacity,” he continued. “Here's how the process works: Migrants surrender to Border Patrol agents, are taken to a processing center, placed on a bus, and then flown to Texas — all on your dime.” Despite an overall decrease in illegal border crossings — attributed in part to an agreement between the Biden administration and the Mexican government to reduce migrant flows ahead of the November elections — Desmond noted that the California border sector remains overwhelmed. San Diego's decision to transport migrants to Texas mirrors actions taken by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over the past two years. Abbott has flown migrants to various cities across the U.S. in an effort to alleviate the burden on local communities strained by the influx. In an interview with Texas Scorecard, Desmond highlighted California's "sanctuary state" status as a contributing factor to the overcrowding at processing facilities. "Border Patrol agents are flying migrants to other parts of the country — predominantly Texas — because our facilities have reached capacity," he said. The news of these migrant flights coincides with Abbott’s recent announcement regarding the expansion of Texas' border wall with Mexico. Since President Biden and Vice President Harris assumed office in January 2021, the U.S. has experienced the most significant border crisis in its history. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials reported over 10 million migrant encounters during this period. The surge in border crossings has been swift and dramatic. By the end of Fiscal Year 2022, officials recorded more than 2.7 million encounters at the border — nearly one million more than the previous year, and a number that equals the total migrant encounters during the four years of the Trump administration combined.California officials have begun flying migrants to Texas as border towns face mounting challenges in handling a surge of migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.
