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MURRIETA, Calif., July 2 (UPI) -- Chanting protesters blocked three buses carrying immigration detainees to a Border Patrol station in the southern California city of Murrieta. The blockade sparked a day of protests in the city Tuesday. In the evening, police kept two groups apart, as about 100 people supported the immigrants and 50 opposed them.
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The immigrants had been flown to California after being detained crossing the border from Mexico into Texas. They were sent to a San Diego station because of the protests.
Between 100 and 150 people stood outside the Murrieta station, waving U.S. flags and chanting "We want to be safe" and "Go home."
"I wanted to say that I, as an American citizen, do not approve of this human disaster that the government has created," Roger Cotton of San Diego told the Los Angeles Times.
Officials said the detainees, including many women and children, were to be processed and released to the supervision of a religious group.
Murrieta Mayor Alan Long called for protests on Monday. At a city council meeting Tuesday, he thanked those who turned out for engaging in peaceful demonstrations.
"The people who live here are passionate about their community, and that's what you're seeing outside today," he said.
Long said Monday the Border Patrol had made two previous attempt to send detainees to Murrieta.
"Murrieta expects our government to enforce our laws, including the deportation of illegal immigrants caught crossing our borders, not disperse them into our local communities," Long said.
