New bill to end ICE center tax breaks; San Diego's fishing industry; World Cup

A new California bill would end tax breaks that allowed an ICE detention center in Imperial County to claim charitable exemptions, after a KPBS investigation prompted state lawmakers to act. In May, KPBS reported that the facility’s owner, registered as a nonprofit, received millions in tax breaks for years through a state welfare exemption typically reserved for charities. The investigation traced how the Imperial Regional Detention Facility avoided paying a large share of property taxes for close to a decade, and that the avoidance totaled at least $6 million over ten years, according to public records cited in the program. Democratic State Senator Steve Padilla discussed the proposal at a June Assembly hearing, arguing the exemptions undercut local schools and services. The segment also noted additional concerns about conditions inside the facility, citing allegations of abuse dating to the facility’s early operations.