Federal court rules against DACA, again
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Wednesday, September 20th.
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Millions of “dreamers” are in limbo again, as a federal court rules against DACA.
More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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Water rates are going to increase for city of San Diego residents.
The San Diego City Council yesterday passed a nearly 20-percent rate hike.
The rates will increase 5 percent in December, 5 percent next July, and an additional nearly 9 percent in January 20-25.
According to our media partner 10 News, the first increase will take an average monthly bill for a single-family home from around 81 dollars to more than 93 dollars.
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Demolition is underway on a city block downtown, that will someday become affordable housing for San Diego City College students.
The high rise housing project is just a block from campus, and is expected to provide 800 units of living space that would rent well below market value.
Greg Smith is acting chancellor of the San Diego Community College district.
He says the state legislature approved the initial funding for the project.
“In order to get 75 million for San Diego City College to start this project, we had to demonstrate that we can accomplish affordable housing that’s going to reach our most at need students.”
That includes students who are low-income, veterans, or former foster youth.
The new housing is expected to be complete in fall 20-28.
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Two schools in the county were named National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U-S Department of Education this week.
Garfield Elementary School in the San Diego Unified District and Casita Center for Technology, Science and Math in the Vista Unified District received the distinction.
The honor recognizes schools based on their overall academic performance or their progress in closing achievement gaps among students of different backgrounds.
More than 350 schools across the country received the honor, and 33 of those schools were in California.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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The deferred action for childhood arrivals, or DACA, has once again been deemed unlawful by a federal court.
This leaves over half a million “dreamers” in the system in limbo, and others with no option at applying.
Reporter Tania Thorne takes a look at the impact this has.
Last week, a federal judge in Texas ruled DACA unlawful. Only individuals who got DACA in 2021 or before can continue renewing. But no new applications are being processed. Josefina Espino is the office coordinator for the Dreamers resource office at Cal State San Marcos. The center helps undocumented students with resources and immigration services. we have less and less students with with Daca status. So we're seeing is more students with no status.That don't have that protection from deportation. They don't have that work authorization. So it's really hard for them, you know, to just kind of survive. Really, with the housing being so expensive, gas is expensive. Everything just went up. While the office serves as a safe space for these students, Espino says the limitations make it hard for undocumented students trying to get an education and start a career. Diana Pliego with the National Immigration Law Center anticipates the ruling to be appealed unless Congress acts. we think that that's what's likely to happen. Because we're we're not gonna stop fighting back. We're not gonna just give up. And we're gonna keep fighting for all of the DACA recipients, and and for those who like, I said, have been locked out She says DACA could make its way to the Supreme Court, but for now the waiting continues. TT KPBS News.
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Last week we told you about hundreds of migrants being held in between the primary and secondary border walls in San Ysidro.
Now, many are waiting for their chance to request asylum 70 miles east of San Diego without shelter in a rural area near Jacumba (ha-come-bah).
Video journalist Matt Bowler has more.
The buzzing you hear is from the sunrise Power link's massive overhead power lines and that language is Kurdish from a man who's chatting with his friend in a camp he made out of the desert's chaparral brush. This is Jacumba Desert, the Campo desert Victoria Vasquez is from the mutual aid group border kindness. She says there's been a steady group of about 150 migrants being driven here by customs and border protection and then left to wait for their asylum claims to be processed. Border kindness has been feeding and clothing migrants here in the desert since Saturday morning “we've brought over I don't know, I want to say 1000 sandwiches, 1000 water bottles.” There are Chinese, Kurdish, Cuban, Colombian, Brazilian and Russian migrants waiting for days. The daytime temperatures here reach around 90 degrees and it dips to the low 50s overnight “when it comes down to people being dumped out in the middle of the desert and being left alone and being stranded and really no other help besides regular people”. Customs and border protection did not respond to an interview request in time for this broadcast. Matt Bowler KPBS News.
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The San Diego City Council is denouncing hate after a meeting was disrupted by anti-semitic conspiracy theorists.
Metro reporter Andrew Bowen says the case shows the perils of allowing anonymous public comment via Zoom.
AB: The disruptions happened throughout the council's meeting on Monday. Anonymous Zoom participants repeatedly launched into anti-Semitic tirades. And repeatedly, Council President Pro Tem Monica Montgomery Steppe would cut them off. University of San Diego law professor Miranda McGowan says that's allowed under the First Amendment when the comments have nothing to do with the subject the council is discussing. MM: Though the City Council can't shut people down because they think that they are expressing a viewpoint in an offensive way, they can limit people to talking about certain topics. AB: McGowan says if the council is concerned about anonymous commenters, it can adopt rules to limit a speaker's anonymity, such as requiring Zoom participants to speak on camera. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
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This November, Fallbrook and Rainbow residents will vote on whether to leave the San Diego Water Authority.
A recently passed state bill stemming from the messy water divorce could make it harder for other agencies to leave in the future.
North County reporter Alexander Nguyen explains.
After three years and a contentious fight …“we are wanting what is legally our right to leave this toxic marriage.” “and it will hurt everyone else in san diego county.” ratepayers in fallbrook and rainbow will finally have their say on whether to leave the san diego water authority in november's special election. for a while … that vote was in jeopardy. the san diego county local agency formation commission … or lafco … ok’d the detachment in july nats cheering … pending voters’ approval. but a bill making its way through the california legislature at that time could have upended that. assembly bill 3-9-9 or a-b-3-9-9 … … sponsored by north county assemblymember tasha boerner … would have required the entire county to vote on the matter. in a statement … boerner’s chief of staff … rob charles says the assemblymember wanted to give all ratepayers a voice in a decision that affects their basic needs. he says in part …“this detachment as approved exposed a glaring shortcoming in the lafco process, and assemblymember boerner took on ab 399 to provide a necessary safeguard for ratepayers throughout san diego county just trying to make ends meet.” that’s not how tom kennedy … the general manager for rainbow municipal water district … sees it. “it’s just lousy public policy” he says the bill was rushed through the legislature for the benefit of one party … the water authority. tom kennedy rainbow municipal water district “i think the right way to go about amending the water authority act is for the member agencies of the water authority to sit down together, talk about what would work for everyone and then as a group bring it forward.” originally … ab 399 … had an “urgency clause” … meaning it would go into effect immediately. that could have torpedoed fallbrook and rainbow’s vote next month. but the clause was stripped from the final version of the bill that was passed by the legislature last week. it still needs to be signed by gov. gavin newsom. alexander nguyen “if signed into law, it will take effect next year. the concern is that it will have a chilling effect on smaller agencies wanting to leave the water authority.” david drake is the director of the rincon del diablo municipal water district in escondido. he says the bill will further disenfranchise voters and local control. david drake rincon del diablo municipal water district “30 years ago, they disenfranchised 60% of the county by having ad valorum voting. this would take to a further step in terms of forcing the smaller agencies to act in ways that are not in their best interest.” san diego mayor todd gloria … who supports the bill … says ab 399 will protect ratepayers. according to the water authority … if fallbrook and rainbow leave… the rest of the county could be stuck paying roughly $140 million in infrastructure improvements. that amount would have been covered by the two north county water agencies. in a statement, gloria says that’s not fair for the rest of the region and that … “ … agencies shouldn’t be able to just leave the rest of us to foot their share of the bill. ab 399 provides an important and necessary safeguard for the rest of the region’s ratepayers …” however … the infrastructure costs are part of the reason why rainbow and fallbrook wanted to leave the water authority. they say those improvements will not benefit their customers. while the bill won’t affect his agency in escondido… drake says it’s a slap in the face for the concept of local control. “i think 399 is another example of how the city of san diego wants to try to dominate the water authority as if it were its own agency rather than a countywide agency covering all three plus million people in the county.” newsom has yet to indicate whether he will sign or veto the bill. drake says he hopes the governor will see how badly the bill will damage democracy. meanwhile … for ratepayers in rainbow and fallbrook … come this november … they have a decision to make. to stay …. or leave ….an/kpbs.
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Coming up.... A data protection rep has tips on how to protect our digital footprint.
“Start thinking about creating a synthetic identity for yourself. Meaning a fake identity and that’s what you use to sign up for things on the internet.”
We’ll have that story, just after the break.
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California lawmakers last week passed a bill to make it easier for us to delete our personal information online.
If signed into law by Governor Newsom, the Delete Act would allow Californians to reduce their digital footprint through a single request to delete their data.
Mark Kap-sin-skee is a Senior Vice President at One Rep… a data protection company.
He spoke with my colleague Jade Hindmon.
Here’s part of their conversation.
Can you first explain what we mean when we say digital footprint?
There are data “brokers.” What are data brokers and how do they get my information?
How would the Delete Act change our digital footprints if it does become law?
So, even if California does make it easier to delete personal information online, it wouldn’t go into effect until 2026. What are some ways people can protect themselves today?
TAG: That was Mark Kap-sin-skee, the Senior Vice President of strategic partnerships at One Rep, speaking with KPBS Midday Edition host, Jade Hindmon.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again tomorrow, for the day’s top stories, plus, we’ll look at how more San Diegans moving to Tijuana is causing rents in TJ to increase. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Wednesday.
