A resolution opposing President Donald Trump’s expanded border wall is headed to the full San Diego City Council for its consideration.

On Wednesday, the council’s Budget and Government Efficiency Committee voted 2-2 along partisan lines on whether to oppose Trump’s project targeted for the U.S. border with Mexico. The resolution, proposed by Council member Georgette Gómez, also opposes a House bill by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, that imposes a fee on money transferred by people in the United States to 42 countries in Latin America.

The tie vote means the measure will go to the full council — which has a 5-4 Democratic majority — in September without a recommendation. If it passes, the mayor could veto it. For now, however, Mayor Kevin Faulconer isn’t indicating if he’s leaning in any direction.

“San Diego’s border works because we have barriers to discourage illegal activity but also bridges to encourage the legal exchange of people, goods and ideas,” Faulconer’s spokesman, Craig Gustafson said in an email. “We have strong economic and cultural binational ties that have the Mayor’s unwavering support. Keeping trade moving in both directions, safely and securely, is important to San Diego’s economy and helps create local jobs. As with any Council resolution, the Mayor will reserve judgment until he sees the final language.”


Gómez said she hopes other elected officials will view the proposed barrier like she does.

“I’m optimistic that my colleagues will see how negative this wall is,” she said.

There was widespread support for the Gómez resolution from religious groups, immigrant advocacy organizations, and worker rights groups at Wednesday’s committee hearing. Several said the expanded wall was a caustic symbol that will harm both the United States and Mexico economically, fail to prevent unauthorized immigration, create a cultural barrier, and spend government money that could be better used on public infrastructure and social services.

Some business leaders agreed with some of those points.


“The fact is, we already have enough barriers, barriers and inefficiencies at our border that cost our nations billions of dollars in lost economic activity,” said Paola Ávila, the vice president for international business affairs at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The committee heard from no opponents of the plan to expand the wall, which was a central promise of the Trump campaign last year. Advocates say it will help control illegal immigration, which in turn would free up jobs for legal residents. Various versions of a border wall have been in place in San Diego County for decades and supporters say it has helped bring order to areas that once were overrun with illegal border crossers.

The committee’s two Republicans, Council members Chris Cate and Scott Sherman, both opposed the measure. They said they agreed with portions of the resolution and comments from the dozens of speakers who backed it, but they felt that a city committee that mostly deals with the municipal budget was an inappropriate place to take a stance on federal policy.

“We are in city politics, a non-partisan office for a reason,” Sherman said. “Our job as city council members is to balance the budget, fix streets, provide public safety, police, fire.”


Plus, he added, “even if we pass this resolution, I don’t think that this president is going to give a darn about the Budget Committee in the city of San Diego.”

Even without the resolution, the city’s view of its close relationship with Mexico is already known in Washington, Cate said.

“I think it’s pretty clear where San Diego stands as a city and a region when it comes our our partners, not only south of us, but also in the Pacific Rim,” he said.

Councilwoman Barbara Bry, the committee’s chair, acknowledged that the resolution isn’t typical for that body.


“Unfortunately we are living in unprecedented times, and that is why we are taking unprecedented actions,” she said. “The impact on San Diego of Trump administration policies has been devastating.”

And while opponents to the resolution argued that it isn’t the city’s job to weigh in on federal policy, Gómez said that it’s important to take a stance on matters that impact residents.

“I definitely disagree,” she said of opposition arguments. “The construction of the wall will have an economic impact.”

And the city, through its lobbyists and relationships with local members of the House of Representatives, regularly tries to impact federal policy in various ways, she said.


The city has opposed Trump administration priorities before. In February, the council voted to join a legal battle against an executive order that prohibited refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.

The matter, which was brought to the council by City Attorney Mara Elliott after her office was approached by the city of Chicago, passed on an 8-1 vote in closed session with Sherman opposed.


Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com


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