San Diego is now the epicenter of California’s immigration crackdown — and voters in CA-48 are about to elect someone who could shape what comes next.
The Deportation Data Project, a joint effort by researchers and FOIA attorneys at UC Berkeley and UCLA, has tracked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) nationwide using records obtained through public-records litigation. Its most recent release, covering arrests through Aug. 6, shows San Diego pulling ahead of the rest of the state.
ICE arrests in San Diego and Imperial counties hit a record 1,952 in July 2026–nearly three times the 662 arrests logged the same month last year.
Since January 2025, ICE has arrested almost 18,000 people in the region — about a third of all arrests statewide. According to reports by the Los Angeles Times, individuals with no prior criminal records make up 74% of the daily ICE detention population in California.
This isn’t background data; California’s 48th district sits right in the middle of this ICE surge. In November, voters will choose between Republican County Supervisor Jim Desmond and Democratic San Diego City Council member Marni von Wilpert to lead this issue.
Neither candidate has cast a federal vote on immigration, yet both have clear records on immigration enforcement.
With Darrell Issa retiring after Prop 50 redrew his district, the seat is open for the first time in years–and holds national stakes. The 48th district sits at the center of the state’s sharpest ICE enforcement spike and is one of the few races that could flip the House in favor of Democrats.
Where do the candidates stand?
Desmond has consistently campaigned on immigration issues. His hardline approach and advocacy for increased funding for Border Patrol and ICE earned him a spot on the MAGA Majority program endorsement list.
In 2025, he joined other Southern California Republicans in an effort to repeal a policy enacted by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors that limits the use of county resources to enforce federal immigration laws.
More recently, he also opposed a 2026 ordinance restricting ICE’s access to county property. The county’s 2026 “CLEAR” ordinance restricting ICE agents’ access to non-public county property, and voted against ending county firing-range agreements that allowed ICE and CBP to train locally
Desmond pushed back hard—arguing agencies should train together, not apart:
“Yes, I’ll admit that ICE has overreached and overstepped, but how do you fix that? You fix it with more training.”
Von Wilpert has taken a different approach. As a San Diego City Councilmember, she authored a city council resolution condemning “excessive” ICE tactics and backed legal support for lawsuits against DHS. She has said cities and the state “shouldn’t be cooperating with immigration enforcement,” aligning with California’s sanctuary-law framework.
Come November, voters aren’t just picking a name on a ballot — they’re picking a side on one of the defining issues of this election. Even though ICE policy is set federally, San Diego is already living with the consequences.
