SANTEE, Calif. (KGTV) — Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing in Santee on Friday, focusing on what they call the "Biden-Harris border crisis" and its impact on California.
Issa hosted the hearing and emphasized the need to improve the U.S. vetting system for migrants who cross into the country illegally.
To underscore the urgency, Issa welcomed guest speakers from San Diego and neighboring counties to discuss the challenges that arise from illegal border crossings.
Santee Mayor John Minto was among the speakers, addressing the impacts in East County.
"Between September 2023 and May 2024, San Diego County received between 125,000 and 154,000 street releases of migrants," Minto said.
Minto explained how street releases became an issue across the county after the migrant welcome center closed due to a lack of federal funds.
Vista Mayor John Franklin also testified, raising concerns about the fentanyl crisis.
"The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office recently reported that 1,203 people died last year from drug overdoses. That’s double the rate from just a few years ago," Franklin said. "One of those victims was the son of a friend of mine, who died after taking what he thought was Adderall."
Since the beginning of the year, the White House reported that more than 400 million lethal doses of fentanyl have been seized at the U.S. border, a point the Biden-Harris administration has taken credit for.
The administration also claims it has deployed the largest number of agents ever at the border, seized record levels of fentanyl, and developed a framework that is changing migration patterns, contributing to illegal border crossings nearing four-year lows.
