Immigration agents arrest parent near Chula Vista school
Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s THURSDAY AUGUST 7TH>>>>
ACTING ON EMPATHY MAY BE PIVOTAL TO OUR HEALTH
…More on that later . But first... the headlines….
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SAN DIEGO CITY LEADERS ARE NOW CONSIDERING DECLARING THREE PLOTS OF LAND IN MISSION BAY PARK AS SURPLUS LAND
SUPPORTERS SAY THIS WOULD REVITALIZE THE AREA BY ATTRACTING NEW BUSINESSES
But, COMMUNITY MEMBERS are CONCERNED IT WOULD LEAD TO HOUSING BEING BUILT ON THE LAND.
UNDER STATE LAW ONCE property is DECLARED SURPLUS, PRIORITY HAS TO BE GIVEN TO LOW INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPERS
NBC 7 IS REPORTING THAT THE MISSION BAY PARK COMMITTEE VOTED AGAINST THE PROPOSAL ON TUESDAY
IT’S NOW UP TO THE SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL.
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LOCAL LEADERS ARE GATHERING THIS MORNING TO OPEN A NEW OVERNIGHT SAFE PARKING SITE IN THE GRANTVILLE AREA OF SAN DIEGO
THE SITE HAS TWENTY PARKING SPOTS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESS
OPERATED BY DREAMS FOR CHANGE, THE SITE IS COUNTY-OWNED AND IS PART OF THE COUNTY’S BROADER EFFORTS TO EXPAND EMERGENCY HOUSING OPTIONS
PARTICIPANTS WILL BE CONNECTED TO EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH SOCIAL SERVICES AND RESOURCES
IN ADDITION TO THIS NEW SITE, THE COUNTY ALSO OPERATES SAFE PARKING SITES IN SPRING VALLEY AND EL CAJON.
######### HOTTEST
TEMPS IN SAN DIEGO SAW A JUMP STARTING YESTERDAY WITH TODAY BEING THE HOTTEST DAY THIS WEEK
SO HOT IN FACT THAT IT’S PROMPTED THE CLOSURE OF A COUPLE POPULAR HIKING SPOTS
OFFICIALS WITH THE CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST SAY THE TRAILS AND REC AREAS NEAR THREE SISTERS FALLS AND CEDAR CREEK FALLS WILL BOTH BE CLOSED UNTIL FRIDAY AT 8 PM
TEMPS IN INLAND AREAS COULD REACH AS HIGH AS ONE OH SIX.
IN THE MOUNTAINS IT COULD BE AS HIGH AS 102 DEGREES.
AND OUR DESERT AREAS WILL MAX OUT AT 118.
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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########## CHULAICE
FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS ARRESTED A PARENT OUTSIDE CAMARENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN CHULA VISTA YESTERDAY MORNING. OFFICIALS WITH THE CHULA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT, ALONG WITH TWO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS CONFIRMED THE ARREST.
CHULA VISTA COUNCILMEMBER MICHAEL INZUNZA REPRESENTS THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE CITY, WHERE THE SCHOOL IS LOCATED. HE’S WORRIED THAT THIS PARENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ARRESTED SOLELY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE LEGAL STATUS.
CHULAICE 2A :13
If somebody is only picked up because of their undocumented status, that is shameful and disgusting to do that and create a spectacle in front of children and traumatizing them in the school.
INZUNZA SAYS CHULA VISTA POLICE WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THE ARREST. HE SAID POLICE TOLD HIM IMMIGRATION AGENTS ARRESTED THE PARENT A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL. AND THAT TWO CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE ARREST. THE CHILDREN WERE LATER PICKED UP BY THEIR FATHER.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO A REQUEST FOR COMMENT.
########## MINISTRY
THERE’S A NEW MINISTRY HEADED BY THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE (DIE-ASIS) OF SAN DIEGO TO ACCOMPANY REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS AT IMMIGRATION COURT HEARINGS.
THE PROGRAM IS CALLED FAITH … WHICH STANDS FOR FAITHFUL ACCOMPANIMENT IN TRUST & HOPE.
IT’S A FOLLOW-UP TO THE EFFORT STARTED SIX WEEKS AGO ON WORLD REFUGEE DAY … WHERE BISHOP MICHAEL PHAM AND OTHER RELIGIOUS LEADERS ACCOMPANIED REFUGEES TO THEIR IMMIGRATION HEARINGS.
HE SAYS HE FELT COMPELLED TO ACT AFTER SEEING THE ICE RAIDS IN EL CAJON AND NORTH PARK.
PHAM SAYS THIS IS PERSONAL FOR HIM BECAUSE THOSE RAIDS REMINDED HIM OF THE REGIME HE FLED IN VIETNAM AS A YOUNG BOY.
MINISTRY 2A (0:13)
“Who were very oppressive, who did the same raids as what we saw here. That's why it takes another level of how serious this is for me.”
ICE AGENTS HAVE BEEN STAKING OUT THE HALLWAYS OF IMMIGRATION COURTS TO DETAIN ASYLUM AND REFUGEE SEEKERS AFTER THEIR CASES WERE HEARD.
MINISTRY ORGANIZERS HOPE THE PRESENCE OF CLERGY WILL STOP THOSE COURTHOUSE ARRESTS.
########## AFGHANCOURT (NO MUSIC BUMP)
U.S. MILITARY VETERANS ARE ALSO ACCOMPANYING MIGRANTS IN COURT. MILITARY AND VETERANS REPORTER ANDREW DYER WAS THERE TO SPEAK TO THEM.
AFGHANCOURT 3 (ad) SOQ 2:03
MDAMRON_0993.MXF 45;48;13 - 45;51;18
JONATHAN LIU, U.S. MARINE CORPS VETERAN
THESE WERE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT FOR US. THEY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE.
JONATHAN LIU SERVED WITH THE MARINES IN AFGHANISTAN AS A FIRE SUPPORT OFFICER. HE DEPLOYED TO THE HELMAND PROVINCE WHERE HE SERVED ALONGSIDE AFGHAN INTERPRETERS.
AFTER THE MARINES, LIU SIGNED UP WITH U.S. AID AND RETURNED TO AFGHANISTAN WHERE HE HELPED GET CLEAN WATER TO THE AFGHAN PEOPLE.
NOW IN SAN DIEGO, HE IS AGAIN SERVING ALONGSIDE AN AFGHAN ALLY.
MDAMRON_0993.MXF 45;08;10 - 45;15;15
JONATHAN LIU, U.S. MARINE CORPS VETERAN
“I BELIEVE THIS IS IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AS FAR AS STANDING BY THE ALLIES WHO STAND BY US. WE SHOULDN'T BE TURNING THEIR BACKS ON THEM.”
LIU IS VOLUNTEERING WITH BATTLE BUDDIES, AN INITIATIVE THAT SEEKS TO PUT U.S. VETERANS IN IMMIGRATION COURT NEXT TO THEIR FORMER ALLIES …. AFGHANS WHO TODAY FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURES — INCLUDING DEPORTATION BACK TO AFGHANISTAN.
BATTLE BUDDIES IS A JOINT PROJECT OF TWO NON-PROFITS — IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA AND #AFGHANEVAC.
SHAWN VANDIVER THE CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF SAN DIEGO-BASED AFGHANEVAC.
MDAMRON_0979.MXF 37;22;13 - 37;35;00
SHAWN VANDIVER, PRESIDENT, #AFGHANEVAC
“ALL THIS IS VETERANS SHOWING UP, CLEARLY MARKED AS VETERANS STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH OUR WARTIME ALLIES AS THEY GO FACE THEIR DAY IN COURT AS THEY GO, FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES AND OUR COUNTRY, JUST LIKE THEY STOOD SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH US IN THEIR COUNTRY.”
THIS TIME THEY WERE STANDING WITH A FORMER AFGHAN JOURNALIST WHO CAME TO COURT FOR WHAT SHOULD BE A ROUTINE IMMIGRATION COURT HEARING.
IN JUNE AT THIS COURTHOUSE, ANOTHER AFGHAN ALLY WAS ARRESTED BY MASKED IMMIGRATION AGENTS AFTER HIS HEARING. IT SHOOK THE AFGHAN COMMUNITY AND TODAY ABOUT A DOZEN VETERANS ARE HERE TO SUPPORT ABDUL.
LIKE ARMY VETERAN MONIQUE LABARRE.
MDAMRON_0980.MXF 40;25;06 - 40;38;06
MONIQUE LABARRE, U.S. ARMY VETERAN
“WE'RE HERE TO STAND BY THESE FOLKS AS THEY'RE GOING TO IMMIGRATION COURT. MANY HAVE BEEN DETAINED, EVEN THOUGH THEY FOLLOWED THE LEGAL PROCESS. AND I'M HERE TO SAY THAT'S NOT RIGHT, AND I'M STANDING UP FOR THEM.”
FOR LIU THIS WORK IS IN-LINE WITH ONE OF THE MARINE CORPS’ CORE VALUES.
COMMITMENT. WE DON'T GIVE UP ON OUR COMMITMENTS.
EVEN WE DON'T GIVE UP WHEN IT'S NO LONGER USEFUL TO US. WE STAND BY THOSE. SO THOSE THAT CONTINUES TODAY. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AFGHANEVAC SAYS THE FORMER AFGHAN JOURNALIST MADE IT OUT OF HIS HEARING WITHOUT INCIDENT.
ANDREW DYER, KPBS NEWS
########## RAIDIMPACT
NEW RESEARCH OUT OF UC MERCED SHOWS IMMIGRATION ARRESTS ARE HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON CALIFORNIA’S WORKFORCE.
NEARLY HALF A MILLION CALIFORNIANS DID NOT SHOW UP FOR WORK THE WEEK AFTER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RAMPED UP IMMIGRATION RAIDS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THAT’S ACCORDING TO EDWARD FLORES, THE FACULTY DIRECTOR OF THE UC MERCED COMMUNITY AND LABOR CENTER.
RAIDIMPACT 2A (gs) 0:13“What this report is demonstrating is that noncitizen workers do not work in some sort of vacuum that’s disconnected with the rest of our society. And it’s also not indicating thanet when noncitizens lose work citizens gain it.”
FLORES SAYS THAT’S BECAUSE OF THE INTERCONNECTED NATURE OF OUR ECONOMY. FOR EXAMPLE, A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF FARMWORKERS IMPACTS TRUCKING, WAREHO USE COMPANIES AND GROCERY STORES.
########## VOSDHOUSING
THROUGH OUR PUBLIC MATTERS PARTNERSHIP, WE’RE BRINGING YOU AN ONGOING SERIES CALLED, IN WHOSE BACKYARD. IT LOOKS AT WHERE HOUSING IS AND ISN’T BEING BUILT. VOICE OF SAN DIEGO REPORTER WILL HUNTSBERRY LOOKS AT WHAT CITIES ARE MEETING THEIR HOUSING GOALS.
VOSDHOUSING 1 (public matters) TRT (1:13) SOQ: “why it matters”
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Encinitas and Del Mar are closer to meeting their state-mandated housing goals than almost any city in San Diego County.
That’s especially wild because those two cities tend to fight hard against new housing.
Now part of the reason is Encinitas just had an easier goal. Cities with less public transit and less jobs got a smaller share of the county’s overall housing goal.
But there are other reasons too.The state has come after Encinitas for not approving housing developments. Things like that forced the city to approve far more housing than leaders wanted to.
Here’s Mayor Bruce Ehlers.
And so all around Encinitas, we have thousands, and it's thousands, uh, of units coming online just on Quail Gardens Drive alone. We have 1,045 in process right now that'll generate an extra 3000 people in town. So what's happened is they hate it.
There is an important caveat about the cities on track to hit their housing goals. They are only on track in one sense — from a pure volume standpoint. Most haven’t built enough affordable housing—only San Marcos and unincorporated San Diego County even came close to those goals.
I’m Will Huntsberry for Voice of San Diego and that’s Why It Matters.
########## MONTGOMERY1
SEAWORLD SETTLED A LAWSUIT WITH THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO OVER ITS UNPAID RENT. AND SOME OF THAT MONEY IS GOING TO PARK IMPROVEMENTS. BUT INEWSOURCE REPORTING INTERN CHARIS JOHNSTON (kah-REEST JOHN-st-on) SAYS SOME SOUTH BAY RESIDENTS ARE FEELING IGNORED.
MONTGOMERY 1 (public matters) TRT 1:11 SOQ
The 8.5 million dollar settlement comes from a Mission Bay leaseholder.
So the city says it has to go to Mission Bay and San Diego Regional capital improvement projects. But, Montgomery-Waller Community Park in Otay Mesa has been on the city’ s unfunded park improvements list for 28 years – and it’s not getting any of the money.
Joann Fouquette is the Safety Officer for Luckie Waller Little League. She says they’ve been asking for lighting improvements at the park to give kids more playing time and increase overall safety.
“It feels like we’ve been forgotten, we’re like the forgotten park, Luckie Waller, cause it’s been here for so long.”
Alberto Estrada is a member of the Otay Mesa-Nestor Community Planning Group and an area resident. He feels left in the dark about why it’s taking so long to get improvements.
“I know it's not easy, but for Christ's sake, show some progress. Figure a way to slowly but surely improve our community. I think we deserve it.”
The city approved funding gathered from city-wide development fees for 19 park projects in underserved areas last year. Montgomery-Waller was not on the list, but the city says they’re working on finding more funding.
For KPBS, I’m inewsource reporting intern Charis Johnston.
ANCHOR TAG: INEWSOURCE IS AN INDEPENDENTLY FUNDED, NONPROFIT PARTNER OF KPBS.
########## EMPATHY
A LOCAL NEUROSCIENTIST SAYS FEELING EMPATHY AND ACTING ON IT ARE NOT JUST PIVOTAL TO OUR HEALTH, BUT TO HUMANITY’S SALVATION. REPORTER AMITA SHARMA BRINGS US THIS STORY, THE FIRST IN A SIX-PART SERIES ABOUT CIVIC VALUES.
EMPATHY 1 (AS) TRT: 1:22 SOQ
Empathy means feeling another’s emotions. It’s as native to humans as hearing. Vision. Taste. So says William Mobley, founding director of the T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion. He explains the parts of the brain that activate when we are sad, distressed, happy, surprised also switch on when we see others in those states. Compassion is acting on empathy. Example. Over a quarter of San Diegans volunteer at hospitals, nursing homes, food pantries and animal shelters. A recent poll shows most Americans believe empathy and compassion are declining. Mobley says we’re overwhelmed.
[00:16:08.00] “....We're at a point where there's just too much suffering, where we turn away from it and we just say, Well, homelessness is bad. War is bad. This is a hostile place to live. But I'm just one person, I need to try to live my life.”
But Mobley challenges us to not look away…because the images of others’ pain will remain in the brain and burn.
[00:14:40]”....If you turn that down, if you ignore that, if you blunt that, if you blur it out, it's not only that you're not helping them, you're not even helping yourself.”
Doing that first requires a commitment to empathy. Amita Sharma, KPBS News.
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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. I’m Lawrence K. Jackson. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
