San Diego county official rips Biden, Newsom as migrant children prioritized over Calif. students

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San Diego teachers given option to teach migrant, not American, students in-person

San Diego county supervisor Jim Desmond weighs in as migrant kids get in-person schooling before locals

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond sounded off on "Hannity" Wednesday, after the Biden administration sent hundreds of Central American migrant children to be housed and formally educated by local teachers at the San Diego Convention Center, while Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to prohibit in-person learning for U.S. citizen students.

Desmond said he does not begrudge the children for being educated but wished there would not be such a stark double standard putting his own constituents' children at a disadvantage.

"It's primarily due to the draconian lockdowns by our governor, Gov. Newsom here in California. He hasn't allowed our kids to go back into school. They will be allowed to have limited in person learning here on April 12th. But in the meantime, they are not allowed to be let back into our public schools," he said. 

"It's very frustrating. We have 130,000 students in San Diego Unified School District that are not allowed for in-person training right now. And we've got these poor migrant kids who came across the border -- these girls without parents -- and they are being -- I am not begrudging the fact that they should have education but our kid should have that opportunity as well."

Desmond said Newsom effectively "locked out" his own constitutents' children from educational opportunities the migrant children are receiving.

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He added that most of the children being housed at the convention center are females ages 13 -17, and at least 82 have tested positive for the coronavirus.

During the interview, host Sean Hannity noted the migrant children are "lucky" to have been "released from [Joe] Biden's cages" at the Texas border, but that there should be some legal precedent that allows teachers to refuse to educate people who are illegal aliens.

"To my understanding ... we are constitutionally required to educate them," replied Desmond. "They are not leaving the convention center. They are cooped up there for 24 hours a day. They can't get out. All they have is really a cot. I'm not begrudging on the fact, okay, some educational expenses, learning some English."

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"They are here in the country. They are seeking asylum here they've got to be scared to death," he continued.

"But really, it's our own parents that are very upset. My office is getting lots of calls from parents saying, hey, we've been fighting to get our kids into schools and get the education in person, and now we are seeing this other population who is here is getting it before we can get it and we have been waiting over a year."