San Diegans are protesting immigration raids with nationwide rallies planned this weekend as Trump finally gets his military parade. Then, the San Diego City Council approved a new, trimmed-down budget — find out what was cut and what was saved. And Voice of San Diego CEO Scott Lewis is back again, talking trash fees. Also hear the latest on Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeting migrants who show up to their immigration court hearings. And KPBS Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando has a review of the new romantic comedy “Materialists.” Finally, it’s the first day of the San Diego County Fair. We bring you there along with some adoptable new companions from the San Diego Humane Society.
Protests in San Diego amid raids, troop mobilization
June 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Thursday, June 12.
Protests against immigration raids are spreading across Southern California and San Diego is no exception.
More on that next. But first... the headlines….
Another protest in San Diego this Saturday is one of hundreds expected nationwide. They’re planned to coincide with President Donald Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C.
The No Kings protests were announced early last month but organizers say interest has grown after the Trump administration’s response to the Los Angeles immigration raid protests.
A $45 million dollar military parade through the streets of Washington, D.C. is planned to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday on Saturday.
It’s also Trump’s 79th birthday.
The No Kings protest in San Diego is 10 am Saturday at Waterfront Park.
Local Democratic Congressman Juan Vargas Says President Donald Trump could be impeached over his immigration crackdown. Scenes of chaos erupted over the past week in Southern California as protesters clashed with law enforcement.
Vargas says Trump went beyond his authority.
“Will he be impeached? No. To impeach somebody, you need to have a majority here of people willing to do that and that means your party has to be in the majority. So, wil it happen? No. If we try to do it, uh, what will it be? Probably a distraction. So, I don’t think anyone’s going to bring it up — but he — we may, I don’t know. But, um, but is it impeachable, Of course it is. Absolutely.”
VARGAS HAS JOINED OTHER DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS IN CALLING FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE RAID AT THE RESTAURANT BUONA FORCHETTA.
A mobile app that connects homeless outreach workers with the latest shelter bed availability is now active across San Diego County.
The Shelter Ready app – created by the district attorney’s office – allows outreach workers to search available shelters.. When a shelter bed is available it can be reserved in the app.
District Attorney Summer Stephan says the app should reduce barriers and save time getting people connected with shelter.
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.
Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
SAN DIEGANS WERE OUT PROTESTING YESTERDAY AGAINST THE RECENT RAIDS BY IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
ACTIVISTS TOLD REPORTER ALEXANDER NGUYEN THEY WERE THERE TO STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY.
The Trump administration has been ratcheting up deportations in the past few months … with ICE agents going to churches, schools and courthouses to arrest immigrants. Outside the Federal Courthouse in downtown San Diego … about a dozen protesters were there to denounce such actions.
Thomas Witkowsky was not part of the protest, but has been coming here with the group Detention Resistance for the past three weeks to document the courthouse arrests.
“It's been very disheartening to see the dehumanization of these folks who have committed no crimes, pose no threat to the community, and are being punished and detained so that they can meet these arbitrary quotas.”
In an interview with KPBS Midday Edition today … Congression Juan Vargas called Trump’s actions scandalous and a huge overstep of his presidential boundaries.
Alexander Nguyen KPBS NEWS
AFTER MONTHS OF DISCUSSION SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS APPROVED A REVISED $6 BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET TUESDAY EVENING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1.
REPORTER JACOB AERE SAYS … LIBRARY ADVOCATES ARE LOOKING AT THE REVISED BUDGET AS A WIN.
The council voted 7 to 2 to restore millions of dollars of proposed cuts from Mayor Todd Gloria’s May budget. Some of the major issues at stake include the restoration of funding to parks and recreation centers … and Monday hours to 16 of the city’s 37 libraries. Sundays will remain closed. Patrick Stewart is CEO of the San Diego Library Foundation. He sees Monday hours being partially restored as a step in the right direction. “It was really important particularly in under-resourced neighborhoods that we keep those branches open.” The city’s Independent Budgets Analyst Charles Modica expressed concern with the modified budget. He told council members immediate cuts will be needed if there's an economic downturn. Mayor Todd Gloria has until June 15th to sign the budget into law or exercise his veto authority. The City Council has the option to override a veto with six votes. Jacob Aere, KPBS News.
SAN DIEGO WAS RELYING ON A TRASH FEE TO HELP WITH ITS BUDGET WOES. IN OUR NEXT WHY IT MATTERS SEGMENT, VOICE OF SAN DIEGO CEO SCOTT LEWIS RECAPS THE CRUCIAL VOTE ON TRASH AND EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
It’s official. Most single-family home owners in San Diego will now have to pay the city a fee of up to $43 per month for trash pickup. It’s the first time in more than 100 years that the city will charge for that service. It wasn’t clear the San Diego City Council would do it. They needed six votes. And some council members were saying the fee was too high. If it didn’t pass, the city’s budget would be in trouble. They would have had to make up $80 million—either through cuts or other ways to make money. During the meeting Monday, it started to look bad for the fee. Here was Councilmember Raul Campillo. He said nearly three years ago, city staff estimated it would be about half what it now will be. I hate to say it, but I think this is a bait and switch and that's why I'm voting no. There were three votes against it. Councilmember Vivian Moreno had already opposed it. If she did again, it wouldn’t go forward. There would be no fee. Without a word, Moreno voted yes. And now it’s happening. Her office said so many people in San Diego already had to pay for trash collection, it was only fair that everyone else did. There were threats of lawsuits at the hearing. We’ll see if anyone actually files one. I’m Scott Lewis for Voice of San Diego and that’s why it matters.
ICE AGENTS CONTINUE TO ARREST PEOPLE AS THEY COME OUT OF IMMIGRATION COURT. REPORTER GUSTAVO SOLIS SAYS THIS IS PART OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S BROADER LEGAL STRATEGY TO INCREASE DEPORTATIONS.
When ICE agents began arresting people in San Diego’s immigration court – local lawyers were not surprised.
“We had heard about this happening in other cities we were just kind of waiting for our turn. We knew it was coming.”
They mobilized. Tracy Crowley was one of them.
On May 22, she rushed to the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego. And represented a Colombian man seeking political asylum.
“He can’t go back home; he’s in danger at home and that’s why he’s here. He had filed his asylum application; he had attended every single court hearing, and he was doing things the right way because he’s an attorney back home in Colombia and he knows how important it is to fulfill your legal obligations if you want the benefit of being in a new country.”
Even though Crowley says the man obeyed the law and showed up for his hearing … ICE agents arrested him when he walked out of the courtroom.
Immigration lawyers say this is an example of a new tactic in the Trump Administration’s mass deportation strategy. It involves funneling people into fast track deportation hearings known as expedited removals.
Ginger Jacobs is an immigration lawyer with more than 20 years experience.
“It’s very unusual. That’s why it’s getting a lot of attention. The strategy is that the Department of Homeland Security – whose considered the prosecutor on the case – makes a motion to the judge saying we would like to terminate proceedings. We would like to dismiss all charges against this person. Now normally, we would think, as an immigration attorney, you would think that’s a good thing. Hey your client is out of deportation proceedings. Now you can move on to pursue another form of relief.
But that’s not what’s happening. By terminating cases, Jacobs says the federal government can then re-arrest immigrants who have been in the country less than two years. And try to deport them without a formal hearing.
“But the reason they were trying to terminate cases was that if the case was terminated, if the person was not under the court’s jurisdiction, then they were being subjected to expedited removal proceedings which is a form of removal that does not involve a judge.”
Under expedited removal, immigrants have far fewer rights. They do not get a lawyer. And instead of a hearing by an impartial judge, they are interviewed by a Department of Homeland Security employee.
Lawyers say this strategy is a way to avoid giving immigrants due process. It’s what Andreanna Sarkis says an ICE lawyer tried to do to one of her clients.
“It seems that they’re targeting people who have been in the United States for under two years because they’re able to put them in expedited removal proceedings instead of waiting for the entire process to reach the end.”
Sarkis opposed ICE’s motion to dismiss her case. So, her client was not put into expedited removal. But he was still arrested and sent to the Otay Mesa Detention Center – where more than 80 percent of detainees do not have a criminal record.
Crowley and others say these cases undercut the Trump’ administration’s claim that they’re focusing on murders, rapists and other violent criminals.
“He’s like, they said they only wanted to go after the criminals and the people doing bad things in the community and they’ve said that since the beginning that that’s their priority. They’re not going to find those people going to court. Those people are not there. They blew off their court dates. So if they really want to go after those people, they’re going to have to use their resources and go out and find them because they’re arresting the only people trying to do it the right way.”
ICE did not respond to a request to comment on these criticisms.
Crowley hopes these cases have a silver lining. That they lead to a change in public opinion about immigration issues.
“I think people prefer this to be under the rug and outside of their field of vision. But now that It’s in their field of vision maybe people will get behind comprehensive immigration reform that treats people with respect and dignity.”
Recent polling shows just over 50 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s immigration policy - a slight drop from February. Gustavo Solis, KPBS News
CELINE SONG GOT HOLLYWOOD’S ATTENTION WITH HER FEATURE DEBUT PAST LIVES.
THE INDIE FILM EARNED A SURPRISING BUT WELL-DESERVED OSCAR NOMINATION FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY.
CINEMA JUNKIE BETH ACCOMANDO SAYS SONG NOW MOVES UP TO A-LIST PLAYERS WITH HER NEW FILM, MATERIALISTS.
Celine Song’s Past Lives was a gracefully nuanced and poignant romantic triangle in which you cared deeply for all the characters. With Materialists, she gives us another romantic triangle but this time a professional matchmaker is at the center.
Are you single? I’m a matchmaker. Give me a call if you want to meet somebody.
Lucy has a knack for pairing up total strangers but doesn’t know how to manage her own relationships. She has a lovable ex who’s still broke and a perfect 10 suitor who checks all her boxes: wealth, looks and dining choices.
You are what we call a unicorn, an impossible fantasy.
The film is Song’s take on Hollywood rom-coms. That means she uses the formula but eschews the hysteria and sitcom shenanigans to create something a little richer and more thoughtful yet still entertaining.
Rom-com is still not my genre of choice but Song makes Materialists sweetly appealing even if it does cave into the trope of everyone being gorgeous. I mean Dakota Johnson’s Lucy can either get Pedro Pascal’s millionaire or settle for Chris Evans’ struggling actor. That’s a choice you only find in Hollywood. Materialists is no Past Lives but it is a classy, well-written rom-com.
Beth Accomando, KPBS News.
IT'S THE UNOFFICIAL START OF SUMMER… THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAIR IS NOW OPEN.
NORTH COUNTY REPORTER TANIA THORNE TELLS US ABOUT THIS YEAR’S "PET-TACULAR" THEME.
The sounds and smells of the San Diego County Fair… are back. Visitors lined up on opening day to enjoy the food, rides, and exhibits the fair has to offer. And this year… visitors could end up leaving the fair with a new friend because the theme is Summer Pet-tacular. Jordan Fry is with the San Diego Humane Society. So we do have some adoptable pets here from San Diego Humane Society. Right now we have some of these adorable kittens, as well as some, bonded guinea pig pairs here as well. So we'd love for people to come by and meet them. Adoptable pets are available at the fair but pick up is coordinated at a campus at a later date. Fair organizers remind visitors that personal pets are not allowed at the fair. Some money saving tips include food value meals, pay one price wristband days, and public transportation that includes fair admission. The fair is open Wednesday through Sunday and will be running until July 6th. Tania Thorne KPBS News.
That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great day.