California town wants cameras, Border Patrol to stop boats transporting migrants

• San Clemente officials push for increased surveillance along the coastline to monitor illegal activity. Mayor Steven Knoblock has proposed adding cameras to the pier to monitor boats.
• The local City Council wants to cooperate with federal authorities.
• Knoblock has also urged the City Council to join a lawsuit against California’s sanctuary law, which protects those living in the country illegally.

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California lawmakers are pushing to strengthen protections for people living in the U.S. illegally, while some beach communities are advocating for a different approach. San Clemente wants to work with immigration agents to monitor 7 miles of coastline using surveillance technology.

San Clemente leaders call for increased coastal surveillance

San Clemente city leaders warn that as border restrictions tighten, U.S. waters are becoming a common route for illegal entry.

Mayor Steve Knoblock has raised concerns about fishing boats, known as pangas, which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says are frequently used to transport migrants and drugs into the country.

“Now the water approach is the issue, and more and more people are coming up by pangas. I think it’s important that they be identified,” Knoblock said.

City officials report these boats often carry more than a dozen people, and are typically spotted in the early morning or late at night. However, by the time the vessels are identified, they are usually empty.

Officials also claim that the boats are linked to Chilean gangs, who are said to burglarize homes along the beachfront.

Surveillance proposal clashes with state sanctuary laws

Knoblock proposed adding cameras to the pier to monitor the coastline during a Feb. 4 City Council meeting. He said the current cameras are not positioned to capture activity in the water.

The mayor’s plan calls for installing additional surveillance equipment to track illegal activity along the shore with updated technology.

“I’m not suggesting that the city become ICE or take on a federal government’s job, but this is a public safety issue where our people can identify these and make a proper call,” Knoblock added.

However, City Council members have instead called for cooperation with Border Patrol agents, a proposal that deviates from California’s sanctuary laws.

These laws, which protect those living in the country illegally, prohibit local and state law enforcement from asking about citizenship or working with federal immigration agents.

While ICE is still allowed to perform its duties, state and local officers are not allowed to detain people who enter the country illegally and transfer them into federal custody.

The mayor also urged the City Council to join a lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, over the state’s sanctuary law, but council members declined.

The city manager is expected to work with federal authorities on monitoring the coastline.