‘They’re Destroying Us’: Residents Near the California-Mexico Border Speak Out About Migrant Crisis

 

This week, California landowners near the U.S.-Mexico border shared that the witness “hundreds” of illegal immigrants cross the border on their property each day.

Brian Silvas, who lives in San Diego County, bought 78-acres of land on the California-Mexico border two years ago. The land is reportedly 75 miles east of San Diego. The border wall ends “a few feet” into his property, according to CNN.

Since he bought the land, Silvas has witnessed hundreds of migrants cross into the United States on his property each day. In addition, he used to wake up “at all hours” to the sounds of his dogs barking to alert him that groups of illegal immigrants were walking across their property. Now, it’s become so common, the dogs reportedly sleep through it. 

“This country was built on immigration. I’m fine with that,” Silvas told the outlet. “But not like this. This is ridiculous.”

Silvas’ property is reportedly rocky and has a “modest razor wire fence” as its only deterrent. 

“If I had the money, I would build my own wall right here!” Silvas said. “Sometimes there are huge groups of men and women, and I don’t want them through here,” Silvas said.

Silvas claimed that the influx of migrants worsened after Title 42 expired earlier this year. Title 42 allowed border agents to turn away illegal immigrants due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Five miles east of Silvas’ property, Jerry and Maria Schuster have experienced illegal immigrants cross the border on their property and camp out. 

Reportedly, on their 17-acre property, illegal immigrants leave behind clothes, trash, and campfires. 

“(My trees) are all gone. They chop them up and put them in the fire,” Jerry Shuster told CNN. He added that one group of migrants broke a wood fence on his property to fuel their fire.

“The government should do something (to) stop this illegal immigration,” Maria Shuster, who is from Mexico, said. “Stop it because (the migrants aren’t) helping us; they’re destroying us.”

Reportedly, the San Diego Border Patrol Sector has reported more than 230,000 encounters over the past fiscal year that ended in September, “a level of activity the agency has not seen in over two decades,” CNN noted. Officials have documented people from more than 40 countries crossing in recent months, including from China and Turkey. 

“The migrants have more rights than we do,” Maria Shuster said, adding that she thinks the Border Patrol’s current role is to transport migrants.

“The Border Patrol agents, I know that they didn’t sign up to be Uber, because that’s all they are right now is Uber.”