San Clemente city leaders are inviting U.S. Customs and Border Protection to place cameras along the beach city’s coastline.
Councilmembers said they want to make sure they have a safe community and have asked the city manager to speak with the agency about installing the cameras to monitor for boats carrying people attempting to enter the country illegally.
The idea stemmed from Mayor Steven Knoblock who proposed having the city buy infrared cameras that community members would man as a way around California’s so-called sanctuary state law that limits local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration efforts.
In recent months, panga landings have increased, Knoblock said, and he had hoped extra eyes on the water would be a way to curtail the illegal activity. He said that with the new Trump administration and tightening of the border, he believed the panga landings would only increase.
But in discussing the idea Tuesday, Feb. 4, councilmembers decided to pursue having the cameras installed by the federal agency and watched by professionals.
“I’m all for apprehending drugs and smuggling,” said Councilmember Rick Loeffler. “But, it might be a problem for John Q citizen watching the cameras.
“I like the idea of more surveillance,” he added. “North Beach is the first place to get cars in north of the (Border Patrol checkpoint on the 5 Freeway). It’s very obvious why they come here. Maybe we can partner with CBP and have them monitor and respond.”
Panga landings, in which undocumented people typically run ashore and meet up with others who take them inland, have happened along Orange County shores for decades. But they’ve increased since the end of the pandemic and, over the past year, Knoblock said San Clemente has seen at least six such landings.
The council also agreed to make it easier for citizens to access emergency services should they see a landing or other activities that are concerning and will have numbers for emergency responders and Border Patrol posted on the city website.
After a lengthy discussion and input from the public, the City Council opted not to join Huntington Beach in its lawsuit against the governor and the state attorney general challenging the California Values Act, better known as the sanctuary state law.
The idea to join the lawsuit was also pushed by Knoblock, but met with resistance from the public and the other councilmembers, with many suggesting it would not affect the city and would only result in negative national headlines.
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