An 8-year old is now in federal custody after showing up for a scheduled Immigration appointment
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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson … it’s MONDAY, NOVEMBER NINTH>>>> [ AN 8 YEAR OLD CHILD IS NOW IN FEDERAL CUSTODY AFTER SHOWING UP FOR A SCHEDULED IMMIGRATION APPOINTMENT ]More on that next. But first... the headlines ...#######
AS CONFIRMED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES META, GOOGLE AND TIK TOK EACH FILED SEPARATE LAWSUITS AGAINST THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA LATE LAST WEEK
THEIR SUIT SEEKS TO BLOCK A CALIFORNIA LAW; AB 1709 WHICH IS SET TO TAKE EFFECT AS OF JANUARY FIRST
AB-1709 LOOKS TO HELP PROTECT CHILDREN FROM THE DANGERS AND RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA …
IT APPLIES TO KIDS AGES 16 YEARS AND UNDER. IT BANS ADDICTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS, FORMS OF “ENDLESS” OR DOOM-SCROLLING AND AUTO-PLAYING VIDEOS
IT’S ALSO MEANT TO ENSURE THAT KIDS ARE NOT GRANTED ACCESS TO ANY ADDICTIVE FEATURES BY HAVING USERS VERIFY THEIR AGE
IN THE SUIT META, GOOGLE AND TIK TOK ARGUE THAT THE LAW VIOLATES THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, AND A SECTION OF THE 1996 COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT
ATTORNEY GENERAL ROB BONTA’S OFFICE IS REVIEWING THE FILING. HE SAYS HIS OFFICE IS COMMITTED TO DEFENDING STATE LAW AND PROTECTING KIDS ONLINE
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ON FRIDAY’S PODCAST WE TOLD YOU ABOUT GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM COMMUTING THE SENTENCES OF MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE CURRENTLY ON DEATH ROW
THE MOVE CONVERTS THEIR SENTENCES TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE
THERE’S BEEN INTENSE REACTION FROM BOTH SIDES. THOSE IN SUPPORT OF THE NEWS AND THOSE VEHEMENTLY AGAINST IT
GROUPS LIKE THE ANTI-DEATH PENALTY COALITION APPLAUDED THE ACT WHILE VICTIMS’ FAMILIES SAY THEY ARE UPSET AND ANGRY WITH THE DECISION
ANOTHER ANGLE TO CONSIDER IS THE FINANCIAL COST SURROUNDING THIS NEWS FOR TAXPAYERS
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA’S EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT SAYS FIVE BILLION DOLLARS HAS BEEN POURED INTO THE STATE’S DEATH PENALTY SYSTEM SINCE 19-78 …
NOW OF COURSE THAT FIGURE INCLUDES THE COSTS OF ATTORNEY FEES AND THE INCREASE IN FILINGS REQUIRED AMONG OTHER THINGS BUT FISCALLY, THAT FIGURE COMES TO MORE THAN 380 MILLION DOLLARS PER EXECUTION
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FOR ANYONE HEADING TO THE BEACH TODAY OR TOMORROW, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS REMINDING US OF A FEW COASTAL HAZARDS FROM OVER THE WEEKEND THAT ARE STILL IN PLACE
THERE’S A CHANCE OF SOME MINOR COASTAL FLOODING THROUGH TOMORROW AS WELL AS DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS
TIDES TODAY ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST IN THE LATE MORNING AND PEAK SOMEWHERE AROUND 7 AND A HALF FEET
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News NowStay with me for more of the local news you need
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AN 8-YEAR OLD HAITIAN CHILD IS IN FEDERAL CUSTODY AFTER REPORTING FOR A SCHEDULED IMMIGRATION APPOINTMENT LAST WEEK
THE CHILD HAS BEEN LIVING WITH A RELATIVE HERE IN SAN DIEGO SINCE HIS FATHER WAS DEPORTED NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO
REPORTER ALEXANDER NGUYEN HAS MORE ON HOW AND WHY THE CHILD WAS TAKEN
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NATPOP 3495 16;49;07;19 → 16;49;10;58 “There he is. That’s how little he was.”
On Wednesday, Karen Pohl witnessed the Department of Homeland Security taking THIS 8-year-old Haitian boy into custody.
She is a volunteer immigration court observer with the group Detention Resistance.
SOT 3494 16;45;40;19 → 16;45;56;16
CG: Karen Pohl // Detention Resistance
“This was the first time I saw a child that young. And it was just, I couldn't believe what I was seeing because I had never watched a child by himself get detained in that manner.”
She says it was upsetting to witness that.
SOT 3494 16;47;42;27 → 16;47;55;15
“This is kinda of like war. And you just do what you got to do and deal with the emotion later because these people need us. There’s nobody else that’s witnessing how they’re being targeted and abused.”
The boy had been living with an uncle after his father was deported in March 2025.
According to a D-H-S spokesperson, the uncle did not have legal custody. And in accordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, the spokesperson says the boy was considered an unaccompanied minor.
In a statement, the spokesperson says:“Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the child’s safety, ICE determined it was best to remove the child from the household and place him in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.”
NATPOP ZOOM 1:19 -1:23 “I am not surprised ICE would say just about anything to justify their actions.”
Cody Petterson is a trustee with the San Diego Unified School District. He says the uncle was designated on school records as an authorized caregiver.
SOT ZOOM 2:08 → 2:20
CG: Cody Petterson // SDSUD Board Trustee
“What this is, is a classic case of legalized lawlessness where these organizations will, agencies will attempt to use the law to actually further what is essentially a lawless activity.”
STANDUP 3508
CG: ALEXANDER NGUYEN // KPBS NEWS
“The family is trying to work out the custody issue. Meanwhile, the boy is being held by the Office of Refugee Resettlement while that is being worked out.”
SOT 3489 15;21;40;58 → 15;21;53;22
Cg: WISTER GAETAN // HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE
“What is clear is that we have an eight-year-old that should be in school, that is currently sitting behind bars, that is not in the care of his natural caretaker.”
Wister Gaetan with the Haitian Bridge Alliance says the boy should be doing what boys his age are doing … going to school and playing with other kids.
City Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera is calling for the restoration of temporary protected status for Haitians.
SOT 3463 14;09;01;25 → 14;09;07;50
Cg: Sean Elo-Rivera // San Diego City Councilmember
“We're in this situation because of a decision to end a program that did not need to be ended, that should not have been ended.”
AN/kpbs
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A proposition backed by the Trump administration that would have required California voters to show identification at the polls has failed. CapRadio’s Gerardo Zavala has more.
PROP39FAILS 1:21 SOQ
Republican State Senator Carl DeMaio spearheaded Prop 39. He, blames the loss in part on the ballot title and ads tying the proposition to Trump.[DeMaio] I am pained and devastated by the failure of Prop 39, but this was a wave election. Republicans got punished all around the country and this wave really hampered our ability to pass Prop 39. [13]DeMaio signaled he’ll keep pushing for voter ID requirements, likely through legislation or another ballot measure.California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks says defeating Prop 39 was a major priority.[Hicks] The defeat of Proposition 39 is incredibly important, not just for our party, but in many ways for Californians. [7]Thad Kousser with the Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections at UC San Diego says the result reflects competing concerns among voters, noting that the measure’s focus on noncitizen voting appealed more to Republicans.[Kousser] But the Democrats and Independents are much more worried about eligible voters being prevented from casting ballots… And for them Prop 39 wasn’t a solution, it was actually potentially more of the problem. [10]Voter ID measures were approved in Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio.But voters in Arizona and Colorado rejected proposals to add new identification requirements, including for mail-in voting. In Sacramento, I’m Gerardo Zavala
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CALIFORNIA VOTERS FLIPPED ALL FIVE CONGRESSIONAL SEATS THAT WERE TARGETED BY PROPOSITION 50 LAST YEAR.
PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER JAKE GOTTA BROKE DOWN HOW THIS BLUE WAVE ELECTION ALSO BEAT GERRYMANDERS NATIONWIDE.
P50FOLO (jg/qo) [1:16] SOQ
in this midterm election democrats won more seats in congress than either party has in over a decade.
in california, five republican-held districts flipped to democrats, including the 48th here in san diego county.
that was the point of prop 50 that voters passed last year. california leaders wanted to offset gerrymandering in republican-led states by doing their own here.
but it turned out this election was such a huge swing toward democrats that republican-led gerrymandering failed to flip most of those seats.
nationwide, republicans targeted ten seats held by democrats – and they only flipped two of them
in texas, where the gerrymandering started, only one of five democratic held districts flipped; and they lost two other republican held seats.
political science professor lauren prather from ucsd said that beyond changing the districts, prop 50 helped focus energy on this midterm election as a way to push back on the trump administration.
lauren prather, ucsd
[6:10 - 6:30] “to the extent that voters felt like, oh, our elites are actually doing something, or at least putting something in front of us so that we can have an opportunity to fight back. i think, having that be part of this year-long cycle leading up to the midterms, i think certainly could have galvanized people.”
and prather said republicans gerrymandering in texas and elsewhere motivated voters in those states too.
jake gotta kpbs news
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ELECTION RESULTS ARE STILL ROLLING IN FROM TUESDAY’S MIDTERMS… BUT SOME CONTESTS ARE STILL CLOSE TO CALL.
VOICE OF SAN DIEGO C-E-O SCOTT LEWIS SAT DOWN WITH KPBS’S DEBBIE CRUZ TO BREAK DOWN WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR ABOUT THE LOCAL RACES
LEWISREAX (vosd) TRT 4:39 last words “thank you”
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Let's start with measure B, the half-cent sales tax to raise money for things like the Tijuana River sewage crisis. You've reported that the measure has already passed with over half of the vote. Can you tell us how you made that call?
Well, unlike some parts of the country, San Diego's early vote, the mail-in vote, has often and long-standing tradition of being more conservative and more, you know, older voters. And so as the votes come in after election day and are counted, they tend to be much more progressive and younger voters. And so I think it was easy to call.
All right. The city plans to use the money to treat wastewater from Mexico. Are they now becoming responsible for cross-border sewage?
They promised to solve the Tijuana River sewage crisis if this tax passed, which means they have taken the largest, worst environmental crisis in San Diego County that's bedeviled us for 50 years. And they've said we are going to solve it. I even had a county supervisor agree with me that we could surf the mouth of the Tijuana River in 10 years and it would be okay. That's a big undertaking.
And the the plan so far is to build a giant sewage treatment plant that collects the entirety of the river and takes care of it. But they don't own any of the land. It's county land, it's federal land, it's city land, private land, and, you know, a massive undertaking. So I think people dispute whether even locals can do anything without Tijuana, you know, fixing its its wastewater problem. But we're going to give it a shot, I guess.
Voice of San Diego has also called that measure A will pass. It would extend term limits for county supervisors. The results for the two measures have come in at very similar margins. How did they get tied together like that?
Well, it's interesting. About a year ago the county did its own polling. The supervisors paid for polling and one of the main things that came back from the surveys was that that people felt like the county was going in the wrong direction. And so, you know, to address that, they actually said, "Well, give us more money and more power." So the people think about the term limits as the big part of measure A and that's a big part of it.
But the other part of measure A is that the county supervisors themselves get more direct say over who's going to lead the staff of the county and the chance to actually influence and work on that staff or fire and hire them. And so they got more power and more money a year after the voters told them that they felt like things weren't running well. So very impressive thing to pull off. And so now they just have to solve a bunch of big problems in our county.
They have 400 more million dollars and more power to address childcare, healthcare, fire safety, and of course the giant sewage treatment problem at the border.
And what do both of these measures put together tell you about where county government is heading?
Well, they're going to be spending a lot of money and, you know, I think that's where we have to as a community, as journalists, as public matters, watch and make sure that they remember the promises they made and and that they're using the money to make a difference.
I also want to ask you, what do you make of the effect that national politics had on local elections this year?
You know, there was obviously this giant wave of support for Democrats and we're seeing some really interesting things happen as that wave goes down the ballot. Vista is very close to maybe electing its a socialist mayor. It's first democratic mayor, but also somebody who identifies with the democratic socialist. Fascinating development. Obviously part of this nationwide wave. But, you know, we we also saw a Republican dominate in the only county supervisor race that was up.
Republican mayor of San Marcos, Rebecca Jones, will easily win that race for county supervisor. So I think in some of the blue states it the wave wasn't as amazing as in some of these other states. But we certainly felt the effect and in general the same things people were worried about across the country from affordability to the war to gas prices played out of course here as well.
I don't want to let you go without mentioning Election Central. You brought it back for the first time since the pandemic. How did it go?
Well, for decades news media of all stripes waited for the results from the registrar of voters even when the internet took that over. It created a space for not only the news media to be, but for politicians and candidates and, you know, pundits to come in and talk and then COVID killed it. And so we did our best to get a minimally viable version off the ground again.
Thank you for being here, Scott, and for all your work this election cycle.
Thank you.
TAG: THAT WAS VOICE OF SAN DIEGO’S SCOTT LEWIS WITH ANCHOR DEBBIE CRUZ. TO STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL THESE RACES, VISIT K-P-B-S DOT ORG SLASH VOTER HUB
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SAN DIEGO OFFICIALS SAY THEY’VE CLOSED THE CITY’S BUDGET DEFICIT FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR.
KPBS PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER KEVIN TREVELLYAN SAYS THAT’S AFTER YEARS OF MAJOR FINANCIAL SHORTFALLS.
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NODEFICIT TOT (0:58) SOQ
Every fall, officials project the city’s financial outlook moving forward.
Mayor Todd Gloria said during a press conference that for the first time in two decades, the forecast shows a balanced budget for the next fiscal year without using one-time fixes.
Todd Gloria | San Diego Mayor
NCR22895.MOV (1:03.576 - 1:16.776)
This result did not happen on its own. It reflects difficult decisions, permanent reforms, and sustained discipline. And over the last several years, my administration has confronted the city's structural budget deficit head-on.
Officials closed the deficit, in part, by making $180 million in cuts, including to library and rec center services.
Still, Chief Operating Officer Bethany Bezak (BEE-zak) says the city’s infrastructure backlog remains massive.
Bethany Bezak | San Diego Chief Operating Officer
NCR22897.MOV (0:52.015 - 1:02.226)
With a nearly $8 billion need to repair city infrastructure, there's no belt-tightening that we can use to close the gap, and we need a sustainable dedicated source of funding.
Because the city’s projections are based on this year’s spending, next year’s financial situation could shift depending on the new budget the mayor and city council ultimately adopt.
KT, KPBS News
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A MASSIVE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN THE MIDWAY DISTRICT WILL GO BEFORE THE SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL TODAY (MONDAY).
METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS THE PROJECT COULD TRANSFORM 49 ACRES OF CITY-OWNED PROPERTY.
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MIDWAY 1 (ab) 0:36 soq
AB: Midway Rising is a plan to replace the city's aging Pechanga Arena and the land that surrounds it with more than 4,200 apartments. The plan also includes parks, retail space and a new arena. The council will technically be taking three votes. One would create a special district where property tax revenues can be reinvested in neighborhood infrastructure. A second vote would approve the project's zoning changes. And a third would approve the financial agreement with the development team. The deal prioritizes affordable housing on the site over lease revenue for the city. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
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That’s it for today’s pod. This podcast is edited by Laura Castañeda and is hosted and produced by myself, Lawrence K. Jackson. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
