SAN YSIDRO, Calif. (KGTV) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom met with San Diego leaders in San Ysidro Thursday morning to discuss border-related topics and what is being done to help migrants.
Newsom hosted a round table discussion at El Rincon Restaurant in San Ysidro around 10 am.
"I don't have any hope... I don't have any faith in the people who are making the decisions," Luz Camacho Espinoza said. The entire table agreeing they're tired of the militarization at the border and spreading fear.
"Walking home from school I've now seen tanks, trucks, and carriers pass through my childhood streets," SDSU student Hector Castro said.
One woman who grew up in San Ysidro chimed in, "there is no crisis here." Castro said the focus needs to shift to real crises like affordable housing and environmental health. "You know there's all this traffic, all these cars all these trucks all this gas, all this air pollution that's being placed on our town," he said.
The leaders said it was important to educate the public that San Ysidro is a vibrant town, full of families, not a dangerous area full of criminals. He added the town is intertwined in many ways with Tijuana, saying not only are there families on both sides, and the economies rely upon the border remaining open.
Owner of the family business El Rincon Restaurant, Edgar Alaniz, called upon Newsom for action, "I want to make it clear that if he wants to understand the community more he needs to visit the community more."
Though the meeting was hosted in San Ysidro, a news release made no mention of whether or not Newsom would visit the border.
RELATED: Newsom's first actions target health care for young people in the country illegally
The visit comes as the San Diego Rapid Response Network prepares to open a relief center for migrants.
Earlier this year, Newsom allocated $5 million for the response network. Also this year, the newly-elected governor proposed expanding Medi-Cal coverage to young people living in the country illegally.
Newsom's budget said immigrants up to age 25 would potentially be eligible for the coverage. The budget proposed spending an additional $260 million for the Medi-Cal expansion.
Outside the round-table discussion about a half dozen protesters held signs calling for Americans First, saying they believe the wall is necessary and concerned immigrants would take advantage of hand outs in the U.S.
RELATED: Newsom outlines $260 million for Medi-Cal expansion to young illegal immigrants
