Aerial view of sewage water spilling into Playa Blanca beach in the coast of Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico on March 21, 2024. Tijuana's recreational beaches are among the most polluted in the northern coast of Mexico. (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP) (Photo by GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images)
San Diego, California – In a rare display of bipartisan unity, the California State Assembly has unanimously approved a measure urging President Donald Trump to declare a national state of emergency in the Tijuana River Valley, where decades of unchecked cross-border pollution have poisoned coastal ecosystems and shuttered Southern California beaches.
The measure, Assembly Joint Resolution 16 (AJR 16), now moves to the state Senate for final approval. If passed, it would mark the strongest official plea yet for the federal government to fully fund the Environmental Protection Agency’s infrastructure plan to address the toxic flow of untreated sewage and industrial waste from Mexico into California. Since 2018, more than 200 billion gallons of contaminated water have crossed the border—fouling the Tijuana River, closing popular beaches like Imperial Beach, and harming public health on both sides of the border.
Assemblymember David Alvarez, one of the resolution’s sponsors, called the contamination an act of “environmental injustice,” arguing that working-class communities along the U.S.-Mexico border have borne the brunt of pollution that would never be tolerated elsewhere. According to Alvarez’s office, residents have endured years of respiratory issues, skin rashes, and economic decline, while federal investment has lagged behind.
“The pollution is constant,” said Bethany Case, a spokesperson for the Surfrider Foundation. “Millions of gallons of sewage every day. We’re talking about raw waste, medical runoff, and chemicals spilling into our coastal ecosystems.”
The proposal carries a stark irony: while the California legislature now calls on President Trump to intervene, it remains unclear whether his administration will be responsive. Despite past promises to improve border infrastructure, Trump has rarely treated environmental remediation as a federal priority. And Gov. Gavin Newsom has previously resisted calls to declare a state emergency, warning that such a move might trigger bureaucratic gridlock rather than accelerate cleanup.
Still, pressure is mounting. Supporters argue that a state of emergency designation could cut red tape around permits and direct much-needed federal dollars toward long-delayed mitigation efforts. As AJR 16 heads to the Senate, activists are urging Newsom to reconsider his earlier reluctance and sign the resolution once it passes.
“They know the federal government has the resources to fix this,” Case said. “It’s dangerous—environmentally, economically, and to the health of people, plants, and animals.”
The EPA’s “Comprehensive Infrastructure Solution” for the Tijuana River Valley, which has been stalled due to lack of full funding, includes expanded treatment capacity, sediment and trash control systems, and restoration of wetland buffers. But the scale of the problem may require more than just infrastructure—it demands sustained political will.
Whether that will materialize in an election year—and under a president with an inconsistent record on environmental enforcement—remains an open question. But California’s message is clear: the crisis in the Tijuana River Valley can no longer be ignored.
