Asylum-seekers held for days in court basement

Our top story today shows the shocking way the United States has been treating people coming here to seek asylum – by holding them in a basement beneath a San Diego courtroom for days, and under needlessly unsanitary and humiliating conditions.

Remember, these are asylum-seekers, the people that the United States promised to protect the world over.

On Monday, U.S. Reps. Juan Vargas and Scott Peters tried to enter the facility as part of their right as congressmen to inspect detention centers, only to be turned away by ICE. “It was an order from Washington,” Vargas said Monday.

Read our lead story for more from immigration reporter Lillian Perlmutter.

But that isn’t the only disturbing story this morning; a La Mesa police officer was killed in a traffic crash late last night after stopping to help a pair of motorists – one of whom was also killed in the crash. It’s the second road-related tragedy for the area already this week; yesterday, a child was killed in a crash while walking to school in San Carlos.

I don’t exactly try to keep our morning newsletters light and fluffy, but this has been a heavy couple of days, so I’ll do what I always do: If you’re feeling overwhelmed today, I recommend saving the top two stories for later and perhaps going straight to our stories about a marching band contest or how to honor Day of the Dead, one of the best celebrations around.

Finally, I wrote last week about hometown hero Willie Lee Morrow and the empire he built here. This week, civil rights advocate and community organizer Shane Harris announced that he has purchased the San Diego Monitor Newspaper and Business Journal, a newspaper originally started by Morrow. Harris has taken over the title of publisher from Morrow’s daughter Cheryl Morrow, who had assumed the role of publisher prior to her father’s passing in 2022.

Thoughts? Opinions? Let us know what you think by emailing news@timesofsandiego.com.