Residents of a California town near the Mexican border are buying guns for self-defense amid the surge of illegal immigrants released into the community, according to a new report.
Firearms Unlimited California, a gun shop in El Cajon, has reported a spike in gun sales amid the concerns about illegal immigration, the New York Post reports.
“I don’t think it’s just the people that are coming over to try to find work. I think we have a lot of hostile people that are coming over with ill will, ill intent that will potentially cause chaos,” said Keith Carnevale, who was shopping for guns for his entire family.
The San Diego region, which includes El Cajon, just 25 miles from the border, has seen the release of about 125,000 migrants onto its streets since September.
The owner of Firearms Unlimited California, Cory Gautereaux, expressed the anxiety he said he and his customers feel about the impact on public safety and local resources.
“The problem for people that live around the gun store is the street dropoffs,” Mr. Gautereaux said.
The increase in migrants moving to California follows heightened border security measures in Texas, including the deployment of razor wire and additional personnel. Consequently, the Border Patrol recorded a daily average of 1,200 migrants crossing illegally into the San Diego region in the week ending Feb. 4, according to government data obtained by CBS News.
By comparison, the Del Rio, Texas, border area saw a plunge in migrant apprehensions from 2,300 a day in December to 200 a day in early February.
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