MJP –
San Francisco is trying something new: expelling illegal immigrants to curb the rising number of fentanyl overdoses.
A major fentanyl epidemic has hit San Francisco. A high number of overdose deaths in the city was attributed by officials to the open-air drug markets. The number of fatalities caused by fentanyl overdoses increased by 43% from the year before, reaching 656 last year.
More than a hundred individuals, primarily undocumented immigrants, have been indicted by federal authorities concerning the open-air drug markets in San Francisco since last year. Those who are accused generally have the choice of accepting a guilty plea, which usually results in deportation, or facing severe prison terms.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed recently spoke with Bloomberg and voiced her support for this strategy, saying that it is essential in light of the seriousness of the fentanyl epidemic.
“For people who are willing to sell poison that is killing people, there’s no protection for you,” added Breed. “There’s no sanctuary for you.”
Local groups have criticized the deportation program, claiming it goes against San Francisco’s sanctuary rules. In most cases, these regulations make it illegal for state and local police to work together with federal immigration officials.
SEE MORE –
Polk County Drug and Theft Arrests: Couple Caught with Meth in Unique Hiding Place
Regardless, Breed insisted that the city is still providing aid to its immigrant population and protecting them from criminal activity associated with the drug problem.
The fentanyl crisis, according to authorities, is driven by drug trafficking networks. Homelessness, violence, and downtown regeneration are already problems, they added, and the epidemic is making them worse. A 37% office vacancy rate and the closure of multiple large chain stores plague the city’s central region.
The fentanyl pandemic is primarily affecting the West Coast, which is why San Francisco is taking measures to control it. The number of fatalities caused by synthetic opioids surged in areas bordering Mexico, San Francisco, Seattle, and Canada last year while maintaining mild in the majority of the country.
Immigrants linked to open-air drug marketplaces deported from San Francisco, according to Straight Arrow News.
