Latest news with #OperationStonegarden
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Newport Beach police awarded $170K grant as part DHS' Operation Stonegarden
The Newport Beach City Council approved a $170,000 grant allowing for its police department to participate in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Operation Stonegarden. Council members voted unanimously in favor of the grant without deliberation during Tuesday's council meeting. According to a city staff report, Operation Stonegarden's 'main objective is to raise the level of U.S. border and California coastline security amongst law enforcement agencies' while increasing law enforcement's overall presence against maritime drug and human smuggling crimes. The Newport Beach Police Department, as part of the grant approval, will collaborate and coordinate with federal U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Border Patrol agencies as the agreement describes California's coastline as a 'border-crime target.' Toward that end, Newport Beach police will use $70,000 from the grant to buy two mobile cameras and two handheld thermal imaging devices to monitor 'hot-spot' areas, such as parking lots and trailheads, while enhancing nighttime surveillance capabilities. The remaining $100,000 will go toward covering overtime expenses. Operation Stonegarden has raised some concerns as ramped up federal immigration raids have surfaced in Orange County and across Southern California. 'In view of the current conflict between state and federal agencies over immigration policy, the public may want additional assurances that the equipment and overtime will not be used to assist in the apprehension of law-abiding persons with long residence in our country,' Jim Mosher, a Newport Beach resident, wrote to the City Council. But even before President Donald Trump's federal immigration crackdown, pro-immigrant activists have kept a close eye on the program. Mai Nguyen Do, research and policy manager for the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice in Orange County, pointed to a number of law enforcement agencies and local governments in Arizona that have withdrawn from Operation Stonegarden in recent years for a variety of reasons, including misaligned missions. 'The justification for continuing to participate in Operation Stonegarden among many Southern California law enforcement agencies, is that it's technically not immigration enforcement,' Do said. 'But one of the main outcomes that's tracked for the program is arrests numbers, including immigration-related arrests.' 'One of the key elements that erodes trust between local law enforcement and communities, is not the nature of the cooperation, it's the cooperation itself,' Do added. A Newport Beach Police Department spokesperson couldn't be reached for comment by press deadline. DHS allocated $2.7 million for Operation Stonegarden for the 2024 fiscal year and tapped the Riverside County Sheriff's Department to act as the grants administrator. In addition to Newport Beach, other Orange County law enforcement agencies receiving grant money include police departments for Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Costa Mesa and La Habra. Newport Beach police have until February 2027 to spend the grant funds.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
White House requests $46.5 billion for border wall construction
White House requests $46.5 billion for border wall construction SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — A couple from Salt Lake City, on vacation through Southern California this week, decided to stop by the border barrier between San Diego and Tijuana. They were taken aback by the height of the fence and the surprisingly easy access to the area. Before leaving, they took a selfie in front of the barrier, a moment they wanted to capture to remember their unique experience. Unidentified couple from Salt Lake City poses for selfie in front of border barrier between San Diego and Tijuana. (Salvador Rivera/Border Report) More border wall spots could pop up should Congress give President Donald Trump the money to build 700 additions miles, 900 miles of river barriers, and 630 miles of secondary walls — part of a bigger bill that includes the White House's proposed tax breaks and spending cuts. Border lawmakers grill DHS Secretary Noem, suggest security spending options The House committee in charge of drafting Trump's border security bill is asking for about $69 billion, a substantial part of which ($46.5 billion), would go to border barriers. The rest of the funds would pay for additional projects, including: $5 billion for CBP facilities $4.1 billion for 8,000 additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, officers, and support staff $2 billion for CBP workforce annual retention bonuses and signing incentives $1.07 billion for non-intrusive inspection technology $2.7 billion for border surveillance technology $500 million for unmanned aircraft systems $450 million for Operation Stonegarden, a federal grant program administered by FEMA 'Considering the amount of people that are in the country illegally, many of them perpetuating crimes, we need the resources to continue doing what President Trump has promised the American people to get these individuals out of our country,' said Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing Tuesday morning. Visit the homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he wants to have a vote on the issue by Memorial Day. According to the Associated Press, Democrats say they will fight what House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries calls the 'extreme Republican agenda.' If passed, a vote in the Senate would be expected in July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
