Canyon property owners to enforce trespassing law on eve of protest
By: YVETTE URREA - Staff Writer | ∞
NORTH COUNTY ---- McGonigle Canyon property owners have posted security guards on their land Friday to keep out illegal immigrants who have been illegally camping there for more than 10 years ---- all on the eve of a campout protest by several hundred people decrying that they and the city were turning a blind eye to the illegal immigrants and the activities that take place there near homes.
Police Capt. Boyd Long said the property owners mean they don't want anyone trespassing on their property, not even protesters. So, police are offering an area of city-owned land for a peaceful protest, but they will not allow camping or protesters to go into the canyon, he said.
"We're prepared to make arrests of people trespassing, if we're asked," Long said.
Meanwhile, Long said he'd been told the migrants who lived in that canyon had packed up and left on their own Friday, apparently in anticipation of the protest. Long said police had no idea where the migrants had gone.
Some immigrant rights activists have said that the goal of the protest was to harass the workers. The migrants, many from Mexico, work at nearby nurseries and cannot afford the high cost of rents in North County.
The property owners had also posted the area with no trespassing signs recently, he said.
Despite this, people still plan to come to make sure the property owners do enforce their own order. The protest was planned for 2 p.m. in the canyon, but Long said they can now go to the end of Torrey Santa Fe Road and protest.
"I will be there," said Julie Adams, a Rancho Penasquitos resident who lives less than a mile from the camps.
She said the concern with the illegal immigrant encampments is that they attract crime such as prostitution, pollution and fire hazards. Long said as of last Friday, between 150 and 180 illegal immigrants were living in the canyon in makeshift tents.
Adams said radio talk-show host Rick Roberts widely promoted the protest on his show and Web site. She was a guest on his show when someone suggested the campout, but she said she is not an organizer.
The campout protest, she said, took on a life of its own with Roberts getting e-mails from people in Northern California planning to come. Adams said she was interviewed by the BBC and Los Angeles-area media who planned to cover the protest.
So, when word came late Friday from Long asking her to spread the word that the campout was off, she said she has no way of reaching all the people expected to come.
Adams said she feels the whole thing has been handled poorly by the property owners and the city because they could have called it off earlier in the week.
She said U.S. citizens are going to show up to do a peaceful protest and be told that while illegal immigrants have lived in the canyon for years, they can't be there.
"I just feel people are going to be mad," Adams said. "This (new) plan may cause problems."
Adams does add that she is glad that the property owners are finally clearing the camps, but she said she will continue to watch the canyon to make sure they keep it up and don't allow the illegal immigrants to return.
Jeff Schwilk, of the San Diego Minutemen, a North County-based anti-illegal immigration group, said some of his minutemen planned to be there to lend support to the area residents, but they were not organizing the protest, either.
"As far as I know, everybody's still coming because they want to make sure that the property owners are doing what they said," Schwilk said.
He added that he is disappointed that the federal authorities have been staying silent on this matter all week.
-- Contact staff writer Yvette Urrea at (760) 901-4076 or yurrea@nctimes.com.
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Check-Mate, Enrique wrote on Nov 18, 2006 6:39 AM:Well its about time! The (American) people rise up and this 20 year old illgal camp is going away! People power! Thank You San Diego Minutemen! You are fighting for all of us true San Diegans!
No Amnesty wrote on Nov 18, 2006 7:48 AM:After 20 years of illegal aliens camping on their property, now suddenly they put up no trespassing signs because American Citizens are going to camp there? Does anyone see the unfairness of that? Obviously, the land owners wanted the illegals there. And they don't know where the illegals went? Why wasn't ICE there to give them a free ride back to Mexico? Have they now dispersed into other areas in our country? Why is it so hard for our government to enforce the IMMIGRATION laws that say you cannot be here illegally? What are those laws for if they are not enforced? Way to go Julie Adams and all who participate in this "camp out" to make people aware of this.
Jack wrote on Nov 18, 2006 8:16 AM:It figures. I expected the SDPD to do just what they have done -- BLOCK the AMERICAN from trying to keep his country safe. If I had my way, ALL City officials and the SDPD would be locked up for 10 years and see how they like that. I'm surprised the San Diego citizens have not recalled the city council and Mayor for malfeasance in office.
Reardon wrote on Nov 18, 2006 9:43 AM:Let me see if I have this right! For more than a decade, hundreds of lawbreakers have occupied the property, with no running water or human waste sanitation. However, on the first day a few legal residents of this country threaten to spend a single night -- with sanitation -- the police show up? What is wrong with this picture?
Victor wrote on Nov 18, 2006 12:18 PM:NOW the police have been called in! Hahahahahaha What BS on a big-time platter! Thank you Minutemen!
Gary wrote on Nov 18, 2006 1:13 PM:I wrote a letter to Pardee Homes, and this is part of their response : From time to time, we are asked about trespassers allegedly occupying our property. We regularly monitor and patrol all of our property and, when we can verify that trespassers are on our property, we take steps to lawfully remove them. We also encourage our neighboring property owners to do the same.
viva la migra wrote on Nov 18, 2006 1:15 PM:Maybe we can get our malfeasant President to fly into McGonigle Caqnyon and proclaim "Mission Accomplished!"
Gary wrote on Nov 18, 2006 1:16 PM:NCT wrote a story about McGonigle Canyon, over a year ago, telling how bad conditions were there. I see nothing has changed since. It is time for "People Power". I bet there will be changes now.
Brent wrote on Nov 18, 2006 1:31 PM: It's about time don't you think??
Greg in Reno wrote on Nov 18, 2006 1:53 PM:I am so prod of you Julie Adams BUSH WAKE UP Build The wall and Inforce are laws of this Country NO AMNESTY OR REFORM NO GUIST WORKER PROGRAM
Greg wrote on Nov 18, 2006 2:50 PM:I am so prod to hear what has happened.No AMNESTY. Build the fence,Inforce the all the laws,cut off all public aid to all Criminal illegal invaders send there kids with they are not citizens because they were illegally grounted out here.
Skip wrote on Nov 18, 2006 3:44 PM:Now the big question is; will they enforce the "No Trespassing Law", tomorrow after the United States citizens leave and return home?
Skip wrote on Nov 18, 2006 4:47 PM:First we can't evict Illegal Aliens out of Escondido. What's next, we can't get Illegal Alien Squatters out of the fields and canyons? A lot of children live in these encampments. If they were American children, then "Child Protective Services" would be in there in a heartbeat. Why do so many people and government agencies look the other way when it comes to enforcing our laws against Illegal Aliens?
Skip wrote on Nov 18, 2006 5:47 PM:Hey Enrique! If you need to find alternate housing for these men, then how about Mexico!
Patriot wrote on Nov 18, 2006 7:02 PM:Where has ICE been all this time? If these illegal aliens are employed in nearby nurseries, perhaps it's about time for a bust?
Its a start wrote on Nov 18, 2006 7:42 PM:I'm boycotting Pardee and Horton home builders until they take a REAL proactive approach on these third world vagrant trespassers and clean up that canyon of the filth. I've been in there and it looks like a garabage landfill. What about the endangered Birdies and Turtles? Where's the people that fight for them?
Karen wrote on Nov 18, 2006 10:55 PM:Perhaps this shows America that we need more peaceful protests to improve this country? It seems that our government is ignoring our Constitution and laws so we need to work harder to keep them. People like this Julie are needed along with our radio people with common sense and the Minutemen!
No, Senor wrote on Nov 18, 2006 11:00 PM:Minutemen - stay at least 15 miles away from Carmel Valley and other outposts of civilization, please. Go back to Escondido.
Blanca wrote on Nov 19, 2006 12:20 AM:How sad to see that racism is so prevalent in San Diego.
RJP wrote on Nov 19, 2006 6:52 AM:It is unfortunate that one is labeled a racist if one opposes the presence of illegal aliens in this country. If we are indeed a nation of law than perhaps one might expect the federal government to pass just and responsible laws and actually enforce those laws after they are enacted. The issue of illegal immigration has much to do with power; who determines our laws, the citizen of the illegal alien? It has much to do with attitudes: are we a melting pot with an emphasis on assimilation or are we a patch quilt with an emphasis on maintaining the old country culture and language in our "Chinatown" environment.
Pat wrote on Nov 19, 2006 10:20 AM:I read in the paper this morning that in Las Vegas schools Hispanic children are now the majority. Our government is letting as many illegals in this country as possible hoping it will be an impossible task to get rid of them and we will just give up. I am sick of seeing our laws selectively enforced! To all those that feel sorry for the poor homeless illegals-let me say that they do have homes--in Mexico!
Sue wrote on Nov 19, 2006 10:12 PM:If you think theirs no Amnesty,Think again I could tell you the truth here,but none would believe a word of it. Just type inon your computers and check out 1986 Amnesty. A web page will come up with Numbers USA. Click on it.The page that pop up,has the Amnesty bills on it,they are numbered.The very last one says,waiting to become law, Amnesty no.8.Then look up the President, talk to America.Also review what our Senators and Congress has told us.Earn citizenship,wasn't Amnesty.I truly believe the (D) want change any thing in our Government.But our Government,will change them.They go in Looking like a rose and come out smelling like a skunk. WE do need a law,that can be inforced on them that dont do their jobs in Washington. Thousands of Americans has lost their lives,in the most cruel and inhuman ways,such as being stabbed 47 times,murder by hacking a person to death with an Ax.Brutal rape,then murder nearly decapitated, shooting to death, and also a beheaded of one person,and another was beaten to death,so badly beaten that the Mother couldn't ID her child.That's right all are of children, ages 18 months,a 4 year old,3 of them were 9 years old,a 10 year old and a 15 year old teenager.All committed by illegal aliens. Money is one thing, But this is our children.So far I've fount 3134 deaths all committed by illegal aliens.That with losing something like 400 My small grand children,came for a visit.We need more protesting and researching the law,We the people,are be deceived,big time!!
john wrote on Nov 20, 2006 5:07 PM:Its a start.
dennis wrote on Nov 21, 2006 9:46 AM:The race card users can cry all they want. There is a groundswell of discontent over the current immigration situation. It can not continue as is with out dire consequences and the 'balkanization' of America. Americans at the grass roots level see that clearly and are making their voices heard. The horse is almost out of the barn....what he has left in it is a byproduct of the pro illegal crowd. We have to clean it up!
Scott wrote on Nov 24, 2006 3:35 PM:Go Minutemen. Thanks for all you do for the citizens of this country. It's for their own good even if the bleeding hearts don't realize it.
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