Wall backers, foes await Trump in Calif.

President to examine prototypes in San Diego

SAN DIEGO — Numerous rallies both for-and-against Donald Trump’s “big beautiful border wall” are expected to mark his first visit to California as president, where he will examine prototypes for future towering barriers to separate the United States and Mexico.

Protests are also being planned across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, on Tuesday when Trump will examine eight, 30-foot-tall prototypes built along the international border to fulfill his signature campaign promise.

Organizers on both sides were urging people to remain peaceful after recent scuffles at rallies in Southern California, including brawls at a Dec. 9 rally near where the prototypes stand.

San Diego is the largest city on the U.s.-mexico border to formally oppose his plans, passing a resolution in 2017.

The visit comes amid growing tensions between the administration and state over immigration enforcement.

A top federal immigration official criticized some of the state’s elected leaders ahead of the visit. Thomas Homan, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s acting director, singled out Gov. Jerry Brown, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Monday for recent criticism of a spate of immigration arrests in the state and a federal lawsuit challenging state laws that limit cooperation on immigration.

About 250 people marched in downtown San Diego in protest of the wall Monday evening.

Jeff Schwilk, founder of San Diegans for Secure Borders, whose group participated in the rally in December near the prototypes that ended in clashes with counterprotesters, said the City Council’s 2017 resolution does not reflect the views of many residents, who feel the border is not secure. He said his organization respects free speech and hopes Tuesday’s rally will be safe for participants.

“We absolutely want President Trump to feel welcome and to come inspect the prototypes so we can get the wall built,” he said.