San Clemente, a coastal town in Orange County, California, is taking steps to strengthen its coastline security in response to a rise in migrant smuggling by boat. City officials are urging federal authorities to install surveillance cameras along the shoreline to enhance security and deter illegal crossings.
Illegal border crossings have decreased under President Donald Trump, whose administration has prioritized securing the border through strict immigration policies. These efforts include limiting asylum opportunities and allowing ICE officers to make arrests at locations previously considered off-limits, such as schools and churches.
While many Democrat-led cities and states have reinforced their sanctuary policies to restrict local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, some communities are beginning to reconsider their stance on shielding undocumented migrants.
San Clemente already has cameras positioned on its pier to monitor beach safety, but none face the ocean. City officials, led by Councilman Steve Knoblock, have proposed repositioning these cameras and upgrading their technology to improve surveillance. At a city council meeting on February 4, officials directed the city manager to coordinate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Border Patrol to explore options for better monitoring the coastline.
Concerns over coastal smuggling have been growing. In 2021, ICE warned that smugglers were increasingly using small fishing boats, known as pangas, to transport migrants and illegal drugs along the Southern California coast. San Clemente has recently experienced a rise in these boats arriving on its shores, with some found carrying migrants while others were abandoned.
Since 2017, California’s sanctuary state law (SB 54) has limited local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, except in cases involving felonies or serious violent crimes. However, opposition to these policies is growing. Many Republicans argue that sanctuary laws hinder immigration enforcement and pose risks to public safety.
In a notable shift, Huntington Beach, another Orange County city located about 30 miles northwest of San Clemente, recently voted to declare itself a “non-sanctuary” jurisdiction. The city council’s unanimous decision on January 21 aligns Huntington Beach with the Trump administration’s stricter immigration policies. Mayor Pat Burns justified the move by citing concerns over rising violent crime and the need for stronger enforcement measures.
San Clemente’s push for increased coastal surveillance highlights a broader trend among some California communities seeking to enforce stricter immigration policies despite the state’s longstanding sanctuary status.
