The Wire · CalGunHub

San Diego County Votes to End ICE, CBP Firing Range Agreements

Published August 18, 2026 · Updated October 12, 2026

A 3-2 Board of Supervisors vote ended federal immigration agency access to two county ranges, though the sheriff kept CBP access at Otay Mesa.

Written by the CalGunHub desk from public reporting

Who this affects: For San Diego County range users and the regional firearms community, the vote changes who trains at two county facilities and removes roughly $120,000 in expected annual county revenue, according to Daylight San Diego. The sheriff's decision to end ICE access while keeping CBP at the Otay Mesa range means county policy and facility practice may not fully align, and further board or sheriff action could follow. Shooters who use the San Diego Regional Firearms Training Center may see scheduling shifts as federal training hours are reduced. This is general information, not legal advice.

On Aug. 18, 2026, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors narrowly voted, 3 to 2, to terminate lease agreements that had allowed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to train at two county-controlled firing ranges, according to KPBS.

The ranges involved are the San Diego Regional Firearms Training Center in Otay Mesa, which the county owns, and a county-leased facility at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, KPBS reported. Daylight San Diego reported that the proposal came from Supervisor Paloma Aguirre and Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, while Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond cast the dissenting votes.

ICE and CBP personnel accumulated over 3,350 hours of use at the Otay Mesa training center since 2024, according to KPBS, which cited the two sponsoring supervisors. Daylight San Diego reported the agreements would have brought the county more than $120,000 per year for use of the two facilities.

Implementation split along agency lines after the vote. In a same-day news release, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office said Sheriff Kelly Martinez informed ICE that its personnel can no longer use sheriff's facilities for training or firearms qualifications. Martinez said she will continue allowing CBP to use the Otay range, pointing to border wait-time and commerce concerns and a shortage of alternative facilities.

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said the change would produce longer waits at border crossings and at the San Diego airport, according to Daylight San Diego, which reported that roughly 1,700 CBP officers depend on the facilities for their required firearms training.

Daylight San Diego also noted that earlier in 2026, Escondido residents objected to that city's police department contracting with ICE and Border Patrol to use the city's gun range. Whether the sheriff's continued CBP access conflicts with the board's direction remains an open question as of this report.

Informational only, not legal advice. Facts are attributed to the sources listed above.