Gov. Gavin Newsom struck back against threats of upcoming immigration crackdowns and tariffs on Thursday with his own vision for the California-Mexico border, including offering the California National Guard’s help screening southbound traffic and promising an imminent start to construction on San Diego’s newest port of entry.
Newsom outlined his plans during a visit to Otay Mesa, flanked by state and local officials.
Newsom said CalGuard, which has already been deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border to help curb fentanyl trafficking, will also focus its operations on detecting illicit money and weapons going south into Mexico.
In June, the number of service members deployed statewide as part of the Counterdrug Task Force, including at ports of entry, more than doubled from 155 to nearly 400, officials said.
“A big part of what happens on the other side of the border as it relates to violence is happening with American-made weapons that come south to Mexico from America,” he said at a news conference. “We need to do a better job to attach a focus of responsibility and energy in that space.”
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives shared by state officials found that of the 21,000 firearms recovered in Mexico between 2016 and 2022, nearly 70 percent were either manufactured or imported into the United States.
CalGuard Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers said he couldn’t give more detail about what southbound operations would look like due to security concerns.
“What we intend to do is enable existing law enforcement task forces to do a better job of interdicting guns and money heading south,” he said. “We have a duty and responsibility, at least in my mind, to do that work better than we’re currently doing it.”
Similar efforts have been made in the past. U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducts sporadic inspections of southbound vehicles to intercept drugs, weapons and other contraband.
Newsom said that California applied with the U.S. Department of State to formalize a military partnership between CalGuard and Mexico, similar to one the state already has with Ukraine.
Newsom’s visit to the border comes after President-elect Donald Trump threatened a 25% tariff on Mexico, the largest trading partner with the U.S. Newsom said there’s no other state that will be more affected than California and that the mere threat has already affected cross-border commerce.
“I’ve just met with leaders in the business community that said already the momentum has been impacted as it relates to nearshoring, in anticipation and with the uncertainty of these tariffs,” he said.
Newsom was joined by business leaders who highlighted the importance of the cross-border dynamic.
“With Mexico being California’s top exporting partner and San Diego home to the largest land commercial port of entry across the U.S.-Mexico border, it is vital that our region remains globally competitive for trade and international supply chains that are a huge economic engine on both sides of the border,” said Jessica Anderson, chief operating officer of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Anderson said that at least 60,000 people cross the border daily to go to work. “In fact, every two jobs created in Baja California supports the creation of one job in San Diego. Our economies are truly intertwined,” she added.
The Otay Mesa East border crossing, for both commercial and personal vehicles, is considered key to the region’s economic development. The project, which should have been done by now according to previously announced deadlines, will now be completed in December 2027.
The San Diego Association of Governments, or SANDAG, and Caltrans, the project sponsors, have said that the delay is due to a pending agreement with the federal government. Newsom said they expect to reach that deal by the end of the month and finally begin construction on the port of entry.
“You’re going to start seeing the earth movers out here, you’re going to finally start seeing things take shape and things happening,” he said, standing at the U.S. side of the project in Otay Mesa.
Newsom said that at “the heart of the negotiations” is a commitment to staff the new port of entry. The existing border crossings have had plenty of lanes, but not enough staff for some time.
“We would not want, and neither does CBP, to ask that San Ysidro and Otay agents be relocated to this port of entry,” said SANDAG CEO Mario Orso. “What we want is an increase, and that’s what’s holding up the negotiations.”
Orso said they are awaiting the green light to begin construction in January. Construction and completion of state Route 11, seven bridges and three interchanges are part of the $1.3 billion project.
Mexico and California had previously agreed to deliver the project in late 2024. Mexico, for its part, recently announced it is nearing completion of its portion of the project.
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