In The News
Cross-border sewage: Officials call for state of emergency amid toxic gas concerns
San Diego's Congressional contingent on Monday reiterated their call for a declaration of a state of emergency following recent detection of high levels of toxic gasses near the U.S.-Mexico border. According to the Representatives — Juan Vargas, Sara Jacobs, Scott Peters, all D-San Diego, and Mike Levin, D-Dana Point — toxic gasses are impacting the health of South Bay residents. "We write to reiterate our request for a State of Emergency in light of new findings that alarming levels of … Continue Reading
September 09, 2024
Southern California representatives call for federal state of emergency amid transboundary pollution crisis
U.S. House representatives from Southern California on Monday called for a federal state of emergency declaration, with hopes of bringing urgent relief to a region coping with toxic, transboundary air pollution. Democratic Reps. Juan Vargas, Sara Jacobs, Mike Levin and Scott Peters pressed for urgent action “in light of new findings that alarming levels of noxious gas are emanating from the Tijuana River” in a letter sent Monday to President Biden and California Gov. Gavin … Continue Reading
August 29, 2024
San Diego migrant aid organizations secure $43M in federal funding
Two local organizations secured an additional $43 million in federal funding to help recently arrived migrants with services such as shelter, medical care and transportation, Rep. Juan Vargas announced this week. The money comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Shelter and Services Program, or SSP, which is intended for non-federal entities that provide humanitarian services to migrants released after being processed by U.S. Border Patrol. It comes on top of $39.2 million total … Continue Reading
August 29, 2024
Congressional delegation demands answers from Mexico about border odors
SAN DIEGO — Members of San Diego's congressional delegation Wednesday demanded answers as to why despite the dry weather, environmental officials are reporting an increase in sewage flow and strong odors from Mexico in the Tijuana River. Reps. Juan Vargas, Sara Jacobs, Scott Peters, all D-San Diego; Mike Levin, D-Dana Point; and U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, both D- California, called on the U.S. Department of State to pressure Mexican officials for answers on the … Continue Reading
June 25, 2024
San Diego Reps. announce $5M grants for port's Tenth Avenue Terminal
Reps. Juan Vargas and Scott Peters, both D-San Diego, announced $5 million in federal grant funding Tuesday for the ongoing Port of San Diego Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal project. The project, part of a large redevelopment and modernization program intended to bring the port more business, is continuing in phases through 2035 and is "market-driven,'' so an exact timeline is unavailable, according to officials. "The Port of San Diego and its tenants are vital to our regional economy,'' Vargas … Continue Reading
May 29, 2024
San Diego Congress members seek more answers about Border Patrol units that operated without oversight
A trio of San Diego Congress members led by Rep. Juan Vargas are calling on two federal agencies to provide more answers about how seven Border Patrol sectors along the U.S.-Mexico boundary were allowed to operate “homegrown” critical incident teams for decades without oversight. The letter to Border Patrol’s parent agencies — signed Vargas, Rep. Sara Jacobs, Rep. Scott Peters and Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro — comes in response to a report published earlier this month by the U.S. Government … Continue Reading
May 11, 2024
Congressional reps pushing CDC to investigate South Bay sewage health impacts
San Diego’s congressional delegation is calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch an investigation into the public health impacts of the Tijuana River sewage crisis. The delegation joined California Sens. Laphonza Butler and Alex Padilla in a joint letter to the CDC director on Friday requesting an immediate examination of the contaminants in the “water, soil, and air” of San Diego County’s southernmost communities. “The overburdened wastewater infrastructure in … Continue Reading
May 03, 2024
New transit hub coming to Southwestern College by 2025
Federal money is coming to the South Bay to transform Southwestern College into a public transit hub. On Friday morning, representative Juan Vargas presented a $500,000 check to Southwestern College. The federal funding will help move the current MTS bus lane, which sits along the only main road through campus, causing traffic and congestion for students and staff who drive to school. This money will build a new transit hub along Otay Lakes Road's main drag, a win for students and the … Continue Reading
April 12, 2024
San Diego region to receive $39M in funding for migrant aid
More than $39 million in Shelter and Services Program funding is headed to San Diego as part of federal monies authorized by Congress to support communities that are providing services to migrants. "The San Diego area has a long tradition of welcoming individuals seeking asylum and refuge with open arms. I'm proud to have worked alongside my San Diego delegation colleagues to secure this critical funding for communities and organizations aiding migrants," said Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego. … Continue Reading
April 04, 2024
Work Permits for Immigrants Extended After Plea by 70 Legislators, Including 2 from San Diego
Just two days after 70 legislators signed a letter urging the White House to prevent a work-permit lapse for immigrants, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Thursday responded. The agency tripled the automatic extension period after San Diego-area Reps. Juan Vargas and Sara Jacobs joined 68 of their Democratic congressional colleagues in submitting a letter to President Biden, the Department of Homeland Security and the USCIS. The missive imploring BIden’s administration to lengthen … Continue Reading
April 03, 2024
Reps. Vargas, Jacobs Join Letter Urging Immigrant Work Permit Extension
San Diego-area Reps. Juan Vargas and Sara Jacobs Tuesday joined 68 of their Democratic congressional colleagues in a letter to President Joe Biden and a pair of federal agencies, urging the administration to prevent a work-permit lapse for immigrants later this month. The letter, signed by 60 representatives and 10 senators in all, was addressed to Biden, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It urges them lengthen the current automatic … Continue Reading
March 27, 2024
Vargas, Other House Reps Ask DHS to Fix CBP One Mobile App for Asylum Seekers
U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas and 29 of his Democratic House colleagues are asking the Department of Homeland Security to improve a Customs and Border Protection mobile app used to manage asylum interview requests, his office said Tuesday. In a March 21 letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, lawmakers wrote that “while DHS has made some changes, urgent issues remain unresolved.” Lawmakers contend the app has a limited number of languages, which “effectively restricts access to … Continue Reading
April 13, 2023
Biden announces Medicaid, ObamaCare access for DACA recipients
The Biden administration on Thursday rolled out a plan to expand health care access for beneficiaries of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Under the plan, DACA recipients will become eligible to apply for Medicaid and to enroll in Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchanges. DACA beneficiaries are not currently eligible for those benefits because their immigration status does not meet the current definition of “lawful presence” required to enroll in … Continue Reading
March 17, 2023
Democrats call out Biden administration, condemn border wall being built in Friendship Park
Shameful. Embarrassing. A potentially impeachable offense. The trio of San Diego politicians speaking next to the border wall in San Ysidro on Friday used those words to characterize the decision by fellow Democrats in the federal government to build 30-foot border walls in the area around Friendship Park. With their sharply critical comments, Congressman Juan Vargas, State Sen. Steve Padilla and Assemblyman David Alvarez added their voices to the chorus of activists who are fighting for … Continue Reading
January 25, 2023
Vargas, Casten Launch Sustainable Investment Caucus
Washington, D.C. (January 25, 2023) - Today, Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-52) and Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) announced the launch of the Congressional Sustainable Investment Caucus (CSIC). A video from the press conference announcing the launch can be found here. CSIC will bring together Members of Congress with experts to better understand sustainable investing and inform policy making that provides investor protections and transparency of information to market … Continue Reading
October 07, 2022
CBS 8 talks to Congressman Juan Vargas about his childhood in National City and the cultural changes he's seen in recent decades.
NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — Growing up in National City, with parents who came to the United States as part of the Bracero Program, to his education at Harvard Law School, and his decision to enter politics, Congressman Juan Vargas knows San Diego County like few people do. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, CBS 8's Carlo Cecchetto sat down with the former San Diego City Councilmember turned U.S. Congressmember to discuss growing up in San Diego and the … Continue Reading
July 08, 2022
San Diego lawmakers free up border pollution funding
Persistent pollution on the San Diego County coast may be a step closer to cleanup, after two San Diego lawmakers fixed language to allow the U.S. Protection Agency to transfer $300 million to the International Boundary and Water Commission for wastewater treatment. Reps. Sara Jacobs and Juan Vargas included provisions in the House State and Foreign Operations bill to authorize the funding transfer, which has been stalled since 2019. The money was authorized as part of the United … Continue Reading
June 15, 2022
Democrats pressure Jan. 6 panel to pursue criminal referrals of Trump
The committee investigating last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol says it is undecided on the question of whether to issue a criminal referral of former President Trump for his role in the rampage. For a growing number of Democrats watching from the sidelines, however, the answer is already clear. “I think they should do criminal referrals,” said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.). “Obviously, with what they’ve uncovered, there’s criminal … Continue Reading
March 29, 2022
ESG lobbying surges with Democratic control of Washington
More lobbyists reported raising environmental, social and governance issues with U.S. officials and lawmakers this year, with Democrats now controlling Washington, than ever before. “ESG” has been steadily appearing in more federal quarterly lobbying reports in recent years, according to a review of filings by CQ Roll Call. After the first mention of ESG came in mid-2018, references to the topic climbed during the final years of the Trump administration, which … Continue Reading
April 02, 2021
Opinion: Rep. Vargas: I asked the girls at the convention center what they wanted most. Here’s what they said.
America has always been a sanctuary for people fleeing persecution, violence and famine. President Joe Biden was following this noble tradition of refuge in overturning the Trump administration’s policy of summarily rejecting unaccompanied children when they presented themselves for asylum at our southern border. Many of these children are fleeing for their lives and have a right under both U.S. and international law to seek asylum and have their cases adjudicated. As we work on the … Continue Reading