Halfway through the year, what next?

People with a clear almost unapologetic and willful case of myopia always puzzle me.

So intent on focussing only on what is directly in front of them—or in their front yard—they don’t grasp the importance of the surrounding environment.

Nearing the half way point of 2025, it’s clear that among the significant events that have occurred so far in South County, two of them are spurred on by things happening at the national level.

First, we have the continued not so subtle pressure placed on our friends, family and coworkers in our immigrant communities. The Trump Administration, true to its campaign promise, is clamping down on what it deems unlawful residency in the United States.

Immigration Customs Enforcement officers and other immigration authorities have raised their profile in neighborhoods that are not affluent and where people who do not look or sound Anglo-American.

Reports of immigrants with a legal right to live in the United States being arrested, detained and in some cases deported are regularly in the news. What’s worse, the Trump administration has targeted U.S. born citizens for scrutiny. Even in National City one resident reportedly received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security telling him to get out of the United States. The individual is an immigrants’ rights advocate.

Another issue of note is the recent opening of the resort and convention center on Chula Vista’s bayfront.

The frequently lauded and fussed over development is supposed to spark economic revitalization for Chula Vista, its downtown to a degree, and of course any landowners and developers holding real estate interest on the once pristine bayfront.

But again, national policies may affect outcomes at home.

The Trump administration’s less than welcoming posture toward foreigners is expected to hamper international tourism across the country, while nationally economic uncertainty created by tariffs and the affect on pocketbooks and home budgets may dampen domestic travel and tourism.

We have six months to see how just these two policies will impact our lives this year.

So far the uncertainty is unsettling.