San Diego Democrat Marni von Wilpert Pushes Open Borders Agenda, Aligns With Defund-the-Police Activists

San Diego City Councilmember and Democratic congressional candidate Marni von Wilpert has exposed her open-borders agenda, declaring that “We shouldn’t be cooperating with immigration enforcement in California.”

The statement tracks with her explicit embrace of the California Values Act, the state law that sharply limits local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. 

In a recent interview, von Wilpert confirmed that the San Diego Police Department “needs to abide by a state law, this the California Values Act and we do not cooperate with immigration enforcement whatsoever.”

As previously reported by the California Globe, von Wilpert has a consistent record of opposing border enforcement and favoring high levels of immigration. 

She led the San Diego City Council vote to sue ICE and has declared, “I’m not waiting ‘til I get to Congress to start fighting ICE. I actually led the vote at the City of San Diego to sue ICE.”

During her tenure on the council, San Diego rents rose 32.9%  amid policies that prioritized continued immigration over expanding local housing supply to meet the demand. 

Von Wilpert’s hostility toward law enforcement extends beyond immigration. 

She voted to reduce police overtime funding and resources for officers as cities nationwide grappled with rising crime. She has pushed to expand mental health counselors so police would not respond to certain calls, shifting responsibilities away from trained officers in critical situations.

She is also an alum of Emerge California, part of a national network that has backed defunding the police and eliminating cash bail. Von Wilpert accepted a paid dinner ticket from an organization that supports defunding the police, further aligning herself with activists seeking to weaken traditional law enforcement.

NRCC Spokesman Christian Martinez condemned her record: “Out of touch Marni von Wilpert has spent her career cozying up to defund-the-police radicals, cutting resources for officers and now demanding California obstruct immigration enforcement. Von Wilpert would handcuff law enforcement, shield illegals and make California families pay the price for her dangerous open-borders agenda.”

RNC Spokesman Nick Poche added: “Marni Von Wilpert is completely beholden to the radical left and will gladly leave Californians vulnerable to dangerous criminals in her desperate quest for open borders.”

Von Wilpert, who flipped a San Diego council seat and is now running to flip California’s 48th Congressional District, continues to frame her opposition to ICE and related policies as protecting communities. 

Her record, including leadership on the lawsuit against ICE and strict adherence to the California Values Act’s non-cooperation mandate, shows a clear prioritization of obstructing federal enforcement over public safety for California families.