Murrieta immigrant protests: Mayor defends his town's actions

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Protester William Satmary of Murrieta stands on a hill to keep a lookout for buses containing immigrant detainees. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Murrieta police handcuff and detain a protester after an altercation. (Matt Hansen / Los Angeles Times)

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Murrieta police scuffle with protesters who were waiting for buses containing immigrant detainees. (Matt Hansen / Los Angeles Times)

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Minor pushing and yelling matches break out July 4 in the emotionally charged crowd of protesters gathering in front of the U.S. Border Patrol station in Murrieta in anticipation of the arrival of more buses carrying immigrant detainees. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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During one of the minor confrontations of the day, Salvadore Chavez, 24, finds himself in an unfriendly crowd as he tries to hold a sign expressing his immigration-rights sentiment. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Murrieta police divide opposing groups of protesters as they wait for buses containing immigrant detainees on July 4. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Police stand between opposing groups of protesters as they await the possible arrival of buses containing immigrant detainees outside the Murrieta Border Patrol facility. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Police officers monitor crowds of protesters gathered in front of the U.S. Border Patrol station Friday. Some were there in support of the migrants, others in opposition. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Police detain a man near a U.S. Border Patrol facility who was there to protest the possible arrival of migrants from Central America. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters against illegal immigration stand ready at sunrise with their flags at the U.S. Border Patrol station in Murrieta July, 4, 2014. Protesters on both sides of the issue are waiting for the possible arrival of more busloads of immigrant detainees. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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A group supporting immigrant rights gathers outside the performing arts building at Murrieta Mesa High School during the town hall meeting. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Members of the community arrive for a town hall meeting in the performing arts building at Murrieta Mesa High School to voice their concerns and listen to public officials over the proposed processing of immigrant detainees at the Murrieta Border Patrol station. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Latin singer Lupillo Rivera is mobbed by followers and supporters after Rivera spoke during the town hall meeting at Murrieta Mesa High School on Wednesday. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Murrieta residents Carol Schlaepfer, left, and Beverly Trigilio boo when President Obama’s name is mentioned during a town hall meeting at Vista Murrieta High School. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Murrieta resident Martin Doran and others cheer comments made by Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Murrieta Mayor Alan Long stands in the wings while Murrieta residents are briefed at a town hall meeting. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Murrieta residents applaud at the town hall meeting. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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All is calm at the Border Patrol in Murrieta on the morning after a crowd of citizens carrying flags and signs blocked three buses from entering the facility. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Concerned citizens cruise by the Border Patrol station in Murrieta after the protests. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Members of the Latino community verbally square off with residents opposed to illegal immigration in front of the U.S. Border Patrol office in Murrieta. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Protester Jessica Davis shouts at counter-demonstrators in front of the U.S. Border Patrol office in Murrieta. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Mexican flags flap in the breeze in front of the U.S. Border Patrol office in Murrieta, where hours earlier a large group of local residents turned away three buses carrying immigrant detainees. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Residents express their feelings in Murrieta. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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A large group of people carrying flags and posters on Tuesday protest a caravan of three buses carrying immigrant detainees, who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas, to a U.S. Border Patrol facility in Murrieta. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Immigrant-rights activist Lupillo Rivera, right, squares off with a large crowd of local citizens carrying flags and posters on the street in front of the U.S. Border Patrol in Murrieta. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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A crowd of 200 to 300 people in downtown Murrieta surround three buses carrying immigrant detainees. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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A crowd of 200 to 300 people in downtown Murrieta surround three buses carrying immigrant detainees. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Officials escorting immigrant detainees to a facility at the U.S. Border Patrol in Murrieta watch as protesters block the road. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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A group of local residents carrying flags and posters assist in turning away three buses carrying immigrant detainees to a Border Patrol station in Murrieta. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Three buses carrying immigrant detainees are blocked by protesters in Murrieta. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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One of the three buses carrying immigrant detainees to a U.S. Border Patrol facility in Murrieta backs up after protesters blocked the road. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

By Los Angeles Times Staff

July 6, 2014 12:02 PM PT

The mayor of Murrietta, which has seen protests in recent days that prevented federal officials from housing some immigrant detainees at a facility there, defended his town’s response to the issue.

Mayor Alan Long said on CNN Sunday that residents are worried whether the U.S. Border Patrol could safely house the immigrants -- including many children -- at its Murrieta facility.

“We’re a very small town here in Murietta, and all the sudden we have a national problem at our doorstep,” Long told CNN. “We had some local residents with some legitimate concerns. I think most of the angry people you saw were from out of town.”

Long also pushed back against criticism that his town is getting over the protests.

“What I’m telling you right now, if those buses were to arrive here tomorrow, and enter the Border Patrol facility, you would see what Murrieta is known for. And that is a caring, compassionate community,” he said.

Long added: “This is a national problem, and the world showed up on our doorsteps. We didn’t have a lot of answers early on, and there were some legitimate concerns, health concerns and humane concerns. People were concerned about the people, the immigrants coming here. Would they have proper facilities? Who is going to take care of them? How long is this going to be for?

Five people were arrested Friday during protests.

A charter plane carrying immigrants who entered the country illegally arrived at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field on Friday evening. Three U.S. Homeland Security Department buses arrived a few minutes later, trailed by numerous law enforcement vehicles.

Federal officials had said earlier in the week that 140 immigrants detained while crossing the border into Texas would arrive Friday. But since a blockade by protesters forced three busloads of migrants to turn around Tuesday in Murrieta, officials have declined to provide information about the movement of the immigrants.

According to a law enforcement source, the latest group to arrive in California was taken to a Border Patrol facility in San Ysidro for processing.

Hundreds of people gathered on the road to the Murrieta processing center, anticipating another convoy of vehicles containing immigrants.

The number of protesters swelled Friday despite the summer heat, the Fourth of July holiday and a police strategy that mostly kept the groups apart and away from the processing center.

In a reversal from earlier in the week, there were substantially more demonstrators on the immigration-rights side.

Authorities kept the road to the center clear and the protesters in check, although scuffles did break out. Murrieta police arrested five people for obstructing officers during an afternoon altercation. One other person was arrested earlier in the day.

The group protesting the transfer of the immigrants to California waved American flags and chanted “USA,” while across the street demonstrators responded with, “Shame on you!”

Murrieta immigrant protests: Mayor defends his town’s actions

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