At its August meeting, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3‑2 to terminate agreements with the Department of Homeland Security that allowed ICE agents to use the Miramar and San Diego Regional firearms training centers. The decision bars federal immigration agents from accessing county shooting ranges and firearms‑training facilities.
Republican response cites hypocrisy and fiscal impact
California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R‑Poway, told Fox News Digital that the board’s action contradicts Democratic calls for better‑trained ICE agents. “Leftist Democrats cannot continue to advocate for federal agents to ‘get more training’ while at the same time purposefully removing opportunities like this to get that very training,” Jones said, adding that the hypocrisy was “dumbfounding.” He warned that the move could cost the community taxpayers by eliminating a source of revenue and jobs tied to the training contracts.
Democratic supervisors defend the ban
Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, D‑San Ysidro, defended the vote, saying residents should not feel fear when agents knock on doors. Representing the Mexican ports of entry at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, Aguirre emphasized the importance of border security but argued that allowing ICE agents to train locally sends the wrong message to a community already concerned about immigration enforcement.
The two Republican supervisors, Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson, voted against the measure. Desmond, who is running for Congress this fall, expressed concern that the decision could harm San Diegans financially.
National context of ICE training scrutiny
The San Diego vote occurs amid a broader national debate over ICE training standards. Nearly three dozen House Democrats have asked the Department of Homeland Security for answers after a Minnesota woman was killed in a vehicle‑ramming incident involving an ICE agent. A letter from 28 lawmakers, led by Rep. Andrea Salinas, D‑Oregon, claims there is “substantial evidence” that training for ICE agents has been reduced.
Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin, D‑Illinois, also questioned ICE training during a February hearing, noting concerns about agents learning on the job while wearing masks that conceal their identities.
Calls for improvement from within the administration
Even officials in the Trump administration have urged better preparation. Border Czar Tom Homan told reporters in July that “there’s always room for improvement” and that “you can never be over‑trained.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Rep. Salinas and Sen. Durbin for comment but did not receive a response.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
