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  • December 12: Demand Scott Peters Fight for Our Lives

    December 12: Demand Scott Peters Fight for Our Lives

    On Saturday, December 12, DSA San Diego will join more than 20 DSA chapters in a Fight for Our Lives coordinated action to 1) highlight establishment Democrats’ failure to support the working class and 2) advance our real solutions that have broad popular support. We’re fighting for a COVID-19 and economic recovery response that centers the working class and can serve as a launchpad for the decade of the Green New Deal.

    Establishment Democrats, like our very own Scott Peters, have consistently failed to support broadly popular policies that benefit the working class, and now they’re blaming the left for the center’s losses. This action is designed to help shift the national narrative and put the failure on Peters, Biden, Pelosi, Schumer and the bipartisan neoliberal consensus that will consign us to climate catastrophe and working class misery unless we organize the power we need to change course. We believe sustained, organized movement pressure can move us closer to a people’s agenda—or, at the very least, further delegitimize the center in the eyes of the working class left base we’re helping to build in the longer-term. 

    WHERE: Gather at 1 pm at Mandell-Weiss Eastgate Park in La Jolla for a socially-distanced walk to Representative Peters’ office in UTC. Masks are required, and participants will need to stay six feet apart while walking and stopped. We will put Peters “on notice” that we demand so much more than what he’s got on offer.

  • March for All Black and Brown Lives, November 4th

    March for All Black and Brown Lives, November 4th

    On Wednesday, November 4th DSA San Diego is mobilizing its membership to participate in A March for All Black and Brown Lives! While there’s still uncertainty regarding what will happen during and after the November 3rd election, we’re expecting a large crowd and lots of energy, so let’s show up strong as a chapter to meet the moment! Wear your DSA t-shirt and your mask and meet up at San Diego Civic Center Plaza at 5:00 pm.

  • Call for public comment in opposition to anti-Prop 15 resolution

    All hands on deck for a Prop. 15 call for comments!

    On Tuesday, Sept. 15th, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (BOS) will be considering a resolution in opposition to Prop 15. This will be a tough vote but we want to make sure supervisors understand what’s at stake: protecting a corporate tax loophole that benefits a handful of wealthy corporations at the expense of our schools and communities, or investing in our children, our families, and our future. 
    We need your help! Please email supervisors before the 9 a.m. meeting to let them know you OPPOSE THE RESOLUTION. Also, submit online public comments before the meeting or live public comment during the meeting. You can learn more from this briefing making the case for Prop 15 in San Diego County or use these talking points.
    EMAIL SUPERVISORS TODAY AND BEFORE THE MEETING:
    Find your representative here. 

    1. Greg Cox (D1): greg.cox@sdcounty.ca.gov 
    2. Dianne Jacob (D2): dianne.jacob@sdcounty.ca.gov
    3. Kristin Gaspar (D3): kristen.gaspar@sdcounty.ca.gov
    4. Nathan Fletcher (D4): nathan.fletcher@sdcounty.ca.gov
    5. Jim Desmond (D5): jim.desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov

    SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENT ONLINE BY 9 AM ON TUES, SEP 15TH: 

    1. Go to the BOS Calendar.
    2. Look for the Sept 15th BOS Meeting or click here for ecomment.
    3. The resolution is item #34 (last page). Click on the comment bubble to leave a comment. 

    CALL INTO THE MEETING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON TUES, SEP 15TH: 

    1. Fill out the online Board of Supervisors tele-comments form to request to speak during the meeting via teleconference. The form must be submitted by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the meeting. After completing the form, you’ll get instructions on how to call in to the meeting.
    2. Watch or listen to the meeting.
    3. When the Board of Supervisors begins to discuss the agenda item you want to comment on, call in to the conference line and turn off your TV or live stream. You’ll continue to hear the Board meeting after calling in. Please do not call until the item you want to speak about is being discussed.
    4. When it is time for public comments on the item you want to speak about, the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors staff will unmute your phone. You’ll hear a prompt that will indicate your phone is unmuted. You may need to press *6 on your phone to unmute yourself. Staff will then ask you to state your name and begin your comments.

    Thank you for using your voice and making sure that our elected officials know that San Diego supports Prop 15!

  • Mutual Aid Is Only The Beginning

    By the San Diego Libertarian Socialist Caucus’ Mutual Aid Committee

    As socialist organizers, we know that building collective power is relationship building, and mutual aid is a critical component of doing so. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shelter-in-place orders, the Libertarian Socialist Caucus recognized an immediate need, as well as an opportunity to build camaraderie, and thus began our Grocery Shopping project. 

    What has blossomed forth is so much more than the organizers could’ve hoped, thanks to the work of dedicated coordinators, and the people who comprise the network. However, our work is far from over. The worsening COVID-19 crisis in San Diego is taking its toll on working class people. With quarantine being in full effect, we have received an influx of people asking for help. We need to grow the mutual aid fund in order to keep up with the demand. Please show solidarity with our comrades by donating to the fund. Your solidarity will enable the fund to continue its critical work during this global pandemic. 

    Thanks to the solidarity of San Diegans and others, our mutual aid program has been able to help almost 200 people with grocery delivery, as well as funds for groceries and other needs. In addition to providing direct aid, one of our coordinators has created a communication space on the Discord app for San Diegans to continue to build solidarity, and help one another. 

    We’re in awe of the response of our communities and hope you will continue to offer solidarity by donating to our mutual aid fund. Mutual aid is only the beginning, we have a world to win.  

  • City Council Environment Committee public comment guide

    Thursday, July 16, 2020, San Diego City Council’s Environment Committee will hold a public comment meeting regarding San Diego’s energy franchise agreement with utility grid operators. Below you can find background information and recommended comments for the event:

    City Council, Environment Committee meeting

    Thursday, July 16th at 1 pm

    Agenda

    Viewing/dial-in instructions below

    Public Comment Instructions

    • View: To watch the meetings, go to this link and click “Watch CityTV Live Feed” on the right hand side of the page
    • Dial-in: Public comment instructions (from the city)
    • 1. Wait for the Clerk to introduce the item you wish to speak on and open the Public Comment line, then call in by following the steps below.
    • 2. DIAL 619-541-6310 and enter the Access Code: 877861 then press ‘#’.
    • 3. You will then hear “you are now being placed into the conference. You are now muted.’
    • You will be able to hear the proceedings through the phone line and WAIT for your turn to speak.
    • 4. You will hear a system prompt stating “Your phone has been unmuted” THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT (This is not a question-and-answer period, this is your time to provide a statement.)
    • 5. When prompted by the Clerk, please state your name for the record and what item your comment is for.
    • 6. You will have the allotted time given by the Chair to provide your comments. Once your time has ended, you will be moved out of the queue and the call will be ended.
    • 7. Participants who wish to speak on other items on the Agenda or for other comment periods please call back when the Clerk introduces those items or comment periods to be placed back in the queue. Please monitor the meeting via City TV OR ONLINE and not through the phoneline.
    • Written Comment: Prior written public comment instructions
    • If you’re not able to call in to either meeting, you can submit a written comment prior to the meeting
    • “Comments received by 1:45 p.m. will be distributed to the Committee and posted online with the meeting materials. All webform comments are limited to 200 words. Comments received after 1:45 p.m. the day of the meeting but before the item is called will be submitted into the written record for the relevant item.”
    • Here’s the form to fill out
    • You will need to specify whether you’re commenting on a non-agenda item or an agenda item
    • If it’s the latter, you’ll need to supply the agenda item number

    Talking point suggestions

    General suggestions

    • [Start here] I am in favor of pursuing municipalization, and I feel that the City’s consultants did not adequately explore pathways to public ownership. City Council needs an in-depth analysis of its options in order to make an informed decision.
    • If the City Council is unwilling to pursue that strategy, the terms of the next franchise agreement must be much stronger. I am not satisfied with the recommended terms that the mayor’s office has put forward.
    • [Pick some of the below] 
    • A 20-year term is far too long of a monopoly to grant given the rapidly changing energy environment; we need a 5-year agreement
    • Given SDG&E’s disregard for the terms of the current franchise, the next agreement needs strong mechanisms for accountability that directly impact the utility’s shareholders; it should levy daily penalties on shareholders for violation of the agreement’s terms.
    • The agreement must mandate that the utility work with the City to achieve the goals of its climate action plan.
    • Provisions should be included that require local investments in renewable energy that benefit the local workforce.
    • It should also guarantee all those employed by the utility a living wage, benefits, and the right to unionize.

    More detailed arguments

    • Public ownership means San Diego keeps the money that would otherwise go to a utility and its shareholders
    • As has been made especially clear by COVID-19, the City needs revenue to fund vital services
    • By signing another franchise agreement, the City is forfeiting ratepayer dollars and allowing them to be the profit of an investor owned utility
    • If the City created a municipal utility, the proceeds from ratepayers would accrue to the City itself
    • These funds could then be used to properly maintain energy infrastructure, fund local economic development, support the initiatives of the climate action plan, or boost public services
    • Public ownership means operating the vital public utility of energy for the public benefit, not to enrich investors
    • Investor-owned utilities have a duty to their shareholders to maximize profits
    • They seek to generate as much profit as possible, given the constraints of California Public Utilities Commission regulations and the terms of their franchise agreements with various municipalities
    • And as SDG&E has shown, it’s not afraid to violate the terms of its franchise agreement if it thinks it can get away with it
    • This is why SDG&E has been a bad partner for the City – like all investor-owned utilities, it operates in the interest of investors by design
    • Let’s reject that ownership model and instead design a public utility that operates in the public interest
    • The MRW and Associates report on the feasibility of municipal acquisition of gas and electric assets finds a very high likelihood of substantially lower costs with a public utility than with SDG&E
    • They find that ratepayers would pay less with a public utility than with SDG&E in all but a low probability, high-cost scenario for electricity and that they would pay lower rates in all scenarios for gas
    • The report says quote ”It is important to note that the High- and Low Cost scenarios are extreme: it is very unlikely that all the key variables will align either positively or negatively.”
    • It also notes that quote: “readers should view the results and conclusions of this report as draft and preliminary.”
    • Given that this preliminary assessment suggests significantly lower costs to ratepayers with a public utility, the City Council has a responsibility to its constituents to commission a thorough, final analysis before making any further decisions regarding San Diego’s energy future

    Quotes from the reports favorable to municipalization

    • “Typically, community-owned utilities provide service at lower rates than investor-owned utilities.”[1]
    • “The NewGen/Advisian/MRW team concluded that in the “Base Case” (the most probable of the various scenarios examined) the City-owned electric distribution utility is economically feasible.”[2]
    • “They also concluded that in the “Base Case” the City-owned gas distribution utility would be economically feasible.”[3]
    • “The electric distribution utility…would obtain control of about $121 million per year in State-mandated electric public purpose program which it could deploy for projects directly benefiting City residents and businesses.”[4]
    • “In addition, the City would obtain control of approximately $17 million per year in natural gas public purpose program charges which it could deploy for projects directly benefiting City residents and businesses.”[5]
    • “[F]ocusing solely on community-owned utilities, they typically provide service at lower rates than investor-owned utilities.”[6]
    • “Typically, municipal energy enterprises:
    • Provide local control to pursue local policy objectives such as economic development or renewable energy development
    • Have rates lower than investor-owned utilities
    • Achieve high levels of customer satisfaction”[7]

    Background Resources

    Documents

    Information On (some of) SDG&E’s Antagonistic Behavior

    • The City of San Diego has asked SDG&E to relocate infrastructure so that it can build a water recycling plant, SDG&E has refused
    • The City is currently suing SDG&E for the $36M it has had to pay the utility to move its infrastructure, despite clear language in the franchise agreement that states the cost burden should fall on SDG&E
    • Historically, undergrounding projects at SDG&E cost about $4.5 million per mile.
    • But some of the work has exceeded $10 million per mile, with other sections “potentially approaching $20 million per mile, without sufficient documentation to justify such increases.”
    • The current agreement, for example, required SDG&E to pay the city 3 percent of the gross revenue it earned from electricity and natural gas sales to residents. Yet SDG&E was successful in the 1970s in getting the California Public Utilities Commission to let it collect the franchise fee directly from customers and pass it through to the city.
    • This sleight-of-hand has cost residents at least $1 billion to date.
    • San Diego Gas & Electric has asked the California Public Utilities Commission to allow the power company to institute a fixed charge on monthly bills. It also wants to nearly quadruple the bare-bones minimum it charges customers each month.
    • Opponents say it amounts to a one-two punch that will penalize customers who don’t use that much electricity and will especially hurt those who have installed — or are considering — rooftop solar.
    • After publicly lobbying on CCA last week before the county Board of Supervisors, officials with the SDG&E marketing arm, Sempra Services Corporation, said they’ve been meeting with lawmakers countywide on this issue since September. Those include San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and several council members.
    • This lobbying caught the attention of the commission’s regulators, who said this week that SDG&E’s marketing division has never received approval to lobby on CCA. They also said they’re looking into the lobbying and that violations could be subject to fines as high as $50,000 for each offense.
    • Direct CPUC intervention and pressure on SDG&E to purchase the (overly costly and unnecessary) Otay Mesa plant, conditioning its request to purchase the Palomar plant on the Otay Mesa purchase
    • Done in an effort to provide much-needed capital to an energy company struggling in the wake of the energy crisis fueled by the manipulation of deregulated energy markets by Enron, energy generators, and energy utilities
    • Utilities make money when they build power plants and transmission lines
    • Witch, Guejito and Rice fires caused by improperly maintained SDG&E equipment resulted in $379M in damages that utility has tried to pass on to consumers through increased rates
    • The 4th District Appellate Court and California Supreme Court have rejected SDG&E’s request

    [1] JVJ, “Report to the City of San Diego Concerning Electric and Gas Distribution Systems” , page 5

    [2] JVJ, page 6

    [3] JVJ, page 7

    [4] JVJ, pages 6-7

    [5] JVJ, page 7

    [6] JVJ page 13

    [7] JVJ page 48

  • EXTEND THE EVICTION MORATORIUM / EXTIENDAN LA MORATORIA DE DESALOJOS

    TELL SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL: 

    EXTEND THE  EVICTION MORATORIUM 

    WITH MORE TENANT PROTECTIONS! 

    • The current moratorium is set to expire on June 30th
    • Tenants will owe all accumulated rent debt by September 25th
    • More than 1 in 4 San Diegans are still unemployed
    • The unemployment benefits from the CARES act expire on July 31st
    • SD City Council must invest in tenant protections and to prevent mass homelessness and evictions during a global pandemic

    OUR DEMANDS: 

    • Extend the eviction moratorium until the state of emergency is lifted           
    • Extend the payback period to AT LEAST six months after the moratorium expires                         
    • Allow tenants to break their leases if they are not able to pay their rent because of COVID19 

    This is the bare minimum of what SD City Council should do right now to protect tenants. Ultimately, the rents and mortgages must be cancelled! 

    HOW TO CALL-IN 

    SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JUNE 30TH @11AM 

    Call 619-541-6310 to comment on agenda item 101 

    Enter the Access Code: 877861 then press ‘#’ 

    Link to public comment: https://bit.ly/sdpubliccomment

    DIGALE AL CONCEJO MUNICIPAL DE SAN DIEGO

    EXTIENDAN LA MORATORIA DE DESALOJOS 

    CON MÁS PROTECCIONES A LOS INQUILINOS!! 

    • La actual moratoria de desalojos se expira el 30 de Junio 
    • Los inquilinos deberán toda la deuda de renta acumulada el 25 de Septiembre. 
    • Más de 1 en cada 4 personas en San Diego todavía están desempleados. 
    • Los beneficios de desempleo de la ley CARE se expiran el 31 de Julio. 
    • El Concejo Municipal de San Diego tiene que invertir en las protecciones de inquilinos y en la prevención de falta de vivienda masiva. 

    NUESTRAS DEMANDAS 

    • Extiendan la moratoria de desalojos hasta que el estado de emergencia se haya levantado.
    • Extiendan el período de pagar la deuda hasta al menos 6 meses después de que la moratoria se expire.
    • Dejen que los inquilinos rompan su contrato de arrendamiento si no pueden pagar su renta por el COVID-19.

    Esto es lo mínimo que el Concejo Municipal de San Diego debe de hacer ahora para proteger a los inquilinos. A lo largo, las rentas y los pagos de hipoteca deben de ser canceladas! 

    LO QUE USTED PUEDE HACER: 

    CONCEJO MUNICIPAL DE SAN DIEGO MARTES, 30 DE JUNTO @11AM 

    Llame al 619-541-6310 para comentar en el ítem de la agenda 101 

    Introduzca el código de acceso: 877861 y oprima ‘#’ 

    Enlace al comentario publico: https://bit.ly/sdpubliccomment

  • Energy Democracy Campaign Update

    In May, our Energy Democracy campaign was designated a priority campaign by the chapter. The timing couldn’t be better. Energy Democracy is a movement across the country to convert privately owned energy utilities into public management and ownership, and to bring greater transparency and accountability to municipal utilities and rural energy cooperatives. The need to transition to renewables is too urgent to let corporate shareholders and fossil fuel lobbyists call the shots – public power is a public good, essential for climate justice.

    SDG&E is owned by Sempra Energy, whose primary business is storing and shipping fracked natural gas. Sempra operates massive operations in Ensenada and Louisiana, and is building a new terminal on Texas’ gulf coast. Our Energy Democracy campaign offers the opportunity for solidarity with chapters across the continent and transnationally, as we fight to shut down global circuits of extraction and existentially dangerous carbon dioxide emissions.

    This week, the City of San Diego will begin considering terms for a new energy franchise agreement. The current 50-year agreement with SDG&E will expire on January 20, 2021, and two other bidders have stepped forward to compete. City Council’s Environment Committee will meet on July 2 at 1 pm, and will begin discussion of terms for the new franchise agreement. UPDATE: This meeting has been postponed by the city council, and they have not provided a new date yet.

    We urge DSA members and friends to offer public comment during this meeting to let members of the Environment Committee know that public accountability is crucial for achieving a transition to renewable energy that doesn’t put the financial burden on the working class. (This post will be updated with dial-in details as soon as they’re available.)

    Many more activities are being planned for this crunch time for our campaign, so please reach out to sandiegodsa@gmail.com or (members only) join the #wg-met-ecosocialism channel on Slack to find out more.

  • May 1st “Cancel The Rent” Caravan

    Location: 4655 Border Village Rd, San Ysidro, CA 92173-3105, United States

    Start Date & Time:  May 1, 2020,  9:30am

    End Date & Time:  May 1, 2020, 2pm

    DSA San Diego, in coalition with ACCE, The San Diego Tenants Union, Anakbayan, & Migrante. Will be executing a caravan demonstration in order to bring awareness to the rent strike movement happening all throughout the state of California.

    The Rent Strike is being made in order to get several demands from the State and the City of San Diego. Demands include but are not limited to:

    ACCE’s Demands:

    • All publicly owned property and vacant housing units -including luxury unitsneed to be opened up to house currently unhoused people.
    • Rent and mortgage payments must be frozen for as long as people are not able to work because of COVID-19, and any rent and mortgage debt accumulated during this period must be forgiven.
    • Moratoriums on any process related to evictions and foreclosures must be instituted immediately and remain in place until the spread of coronavirus is no longer a public threat.
    • Californians need a guarantee that they will be rehired if they have been laid off, or that their shifts will be restored once isolation orders have been lifted. 
    • Anyone who is laid off or experiencing a decline in wages must have access to unemployment benefits that cover 100% of that person’s wages before the job decline.
    • Californians need an immediate stimulus package that puts cash in people’s hands. We must learn the lessons from the 2008 financial crisis and bail out people -not just businesses.

    DSA San Diego’s Demands:

    1. Rent Suspension: No Rent Now, No Debt Later:

    • The City and County must enact a rent suspension or rent forgiveness policy to protect renters and to prevent future debt and homelessness. 
    • The rent payment suspension period should be enacted retroactively from April 1, 2020 and remain in effect through the duration of the statewide shelterin-place mandate, or a minimum of 90 days.
    • The City and County leadership must do everything within their power to advocate for a state level legislative package providing the same.

    2. Support for Unhoused Residents:

    To contain the spread of COVID-19, we must immediately provide emergency shelter, expanded services, and reliable information to all unhoused individuals in San Diego.

    • Hotel vouchers to allow all unhoused people access to safe, clean and comfortable lodging. Vouchers should be made available to anyone needing shelter, not just individuals who are presenting symptoms.
    • Permanent commitment to provide housing for everyone who needs it, not just a temporary measure that will put people right back on the streets when this crisis is over.
    • Expanded housing services through an infusion of resources and funding to community health clinics, shelters, and other frontline service providers, to cover staff overtime pay and necessary supplies, like sanitizers, medicine, masks, etc.
    • Emergency sanitation sites for people who cannot move indoors. Sanitation sites should include 24-hour restrooms and showers, laundry, hygiene supplies, COVID-19 screening, case worker availability, and disease prevention information.
    • End to encampment sweeps, ticketing, and vehicle tows (all practices that criminalize houselessness).

    Please join us in our struggle to make housing a basic human right on May 1st and if you wanna sign on in support of the rent strike follow this link! Rent Strike Movement

    If you are a DSA member please fill this google form out in order for us to coordinate DSA’s contingent as effectively as possible. DSA San Diego’s “May 1st Caravan” Sign Up Form

    In Solidarity,

    DSA San Diego

    Event Schedule: May 1, 2020: 

    • 9:30am: 4655 Border Village Rd, San Ysidro, CA 92173 
    • 10:30am: “El Super” 3007 Highland Ave, National City, CA 91950
    • 11:30am: 1950 Main St, San Diego
    • 12pm: 1350 Front St, San Diego
    • 12:30pm: 3990 Old Town Rd
    • 1pm: 2249 Ulric Rd, San Diego

  • Urgent Call For Action Against A U.S. War On Iran

    Our chapter voted to endorse national DSA’s statement on Iran:

    Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) emphatically opposes a U.S. war with Iran. In light of the U.S.’s act of war against Iran, putting the two nations close to the brink of war, DSA calls on all members and chapters to mobilize against yet another U.S. war in the Middle East.

    On January 2, 2020, the U.S. military assassinated, on Iraqi soil, Iranian General Qassim Suleimani. Such a move is an act of war, and escalates an already tense military situation in Iraq and Iran. In addition to recklessly endangering millions of lives throughout the Middle East, yesterday’s action violates the War Powers Act, the U.S. Constitution, and international law.

    These strikes come on the heels of an increased military presence in Iraq, part of decades of military intervention in the country. Even prior to its illegal, criminal invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq in 2003, the U.S. was bombing the nation an average of once every three days and imposing brutal sanctions on it.

    The U.S. has long held Iran in its sights since it broke free of despotic rule under the U.S-backed Shah. Donald Trump and his cabinet of war hawks have dramatically escalated military tensions to their highest point in decades. Trump unilaterally pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Agreement, in spite of Iran’s compliance with it. Trump has reimplemented brutal, unilateral sanctions against Iran that are inflicting real suffering on Iranian civilians in no way responsible for the policies of their government. In June, Donald Trump claims to have ordered, but called off, strikes against Iran, after the U.S. alleged the Iranian military shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone. Tensions were further inflamed in September when Saudi Arabia accused Iran of attacking a Saudi oil field.

    A U.S. war against Iran would be catastrophic. U.S. wars in the Middle East have left a bloody legacy, killing over a million people. This new conflict would endanger the lives of millions of Iranians, Iraqis, and others throughout the Middle East, potentially creating a near continuous warzone from Lebanon to Afghanistan. As internationalists we stand in solidarity with the people of the Middle East, from the streets of Baghdad to Beirut, in their struggles for liberation and against the scourge of war.

    As Democratic Socialists, we reject further war, imperialism and militarism by our government. We oppose a war against Iran, call for the lifting of sanctions, the rejoining of the Iran Nuclear deal, and the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq. We encourage DSA members to find a protest action near them to engage in.

  • Support El Comedor

    This #Giving Tuesday, DSA San Diego asks you to make a gift to El Comedor, an autonomous migrant-run kitchen in Tijuana that serves meals and provides other resources to asylum seekers and people in need. The collective that runs this kitchen, Contra Viento y Marea, was born out of the self-organization of caravan members during the siege of Benito Juarez in December 2018.

    The Central American exodus of 2018 and the caravans that followed brought a number of asylum seekers to Tijuana. The US and Mexican governments have been coordinating to flout international asylum laws and criminalize migration – they do not allow asylum seekers to present themselves at ports of entry and instead funnel them into an illegal metering system. This has resulted in a number of asylum seekers being stuck in Tijuana, waiting in line to enter the US and unable to go back. 

    This past year, DSA San Diego via the Immigration Working Group has been building ties across the border with organizations and collectives made up of and serving the members of the migrant caravans. El Comedor is an especially close connection, as its emphasis on collective governance and mutual aid resonate with DSA’s priorities.

    El Comedor is a community kitchen, garden, and donation center serving the impoverished Zone Norte neighborhood of Tijuana and is supported solely by donations. Your contribution will help pay for rent, utilities, and food. This autonomous space provides hot meals, distributes donations of clothes and hygiene products, and serves as the location of a medical clinic. Aside from feedings migrants, individuals deported from the US, and Tijuana’s unhoused community, El Comedor also provides survival goods like blankets, warm clothes, shoes, sleeping bags, tents, and toiletry kits.

    The migrant crisis persists and many migrants seeking asylum in the US find themselves stranded in Tijuana with little to no access to resources from the government, a situation gravely exacerbated by the Trump Administration’s Remain in Mexico policy, which forces asylum seekers to return to Mexico until an asylum decision has been made – a period of many months, even years. A donation of any size will be a commitment of compassion, justice, and global community.

    You can donate now to the Gofundme page created to support El Comedor’s rent and other regular bills, or via Venmo @tjrefugee-support.