Hundreds of citizens flowed into the streets of Murrieta, California, Tuesday, to prevent three illegal immigrant buses from entering the town. Their protests successfully deterred the buses and led to a heated town meeting Wednesday evening, in which local citizens spoke their mind about the illegal immigrants that were being transferred from the overcrowded Texas vicinities to ones in California.
According to CNN, protestors yelled phrases such as “go back home” and “USA” at three immigrant buses; their threats and unwillingness to move forced the buses to turn around and take the immigrants elsewhere. The buses took over 140 illegal immigrants to places such as San Diego and El Centro, which are about 80 miles away from Murrieta.
Murrieta citizens expressed their distress over how the illegal immigrants would affect the town’s public safety and health. Four of the immigrants that were supposed to be sent to Murrieta were taken to a hospital due to the scabies illness and fevers. Citizens also feared for their community resources since city money is used when it comes to law enforcement and local non-profit organizations are aiding with the humanitarian issue. City Mayor Alan Long stated that the city would pursue reimbursements from the federal government; yet those are not promised, according to the New York Daily News.
Illegal immigration continues to rise as officials predict that the total number of illegal immigrant children alone that cross the border in 2014 will be between 60,000 and 80,000; president Obama blames the rapid flow of illegal immigrants on being misinformed. While Mexican illegal immigrants are deported rapidly, illegal immigrants from Central America are held by the U.S. government for a small period of time until their information is successfully processed. After leaving the vicinity they are allotted a month grace period to contact immigration offices. However, most illegal immigrants never contact immigration, which overtime has led to 11 million undocumented people in America, the National Border Patrol Council noted.
Another load of immigrants are expected to arrive in Murrieta Friday.