Coronado,CA - Silver Strand Beach, typically busy with families, beachgoers on Labor Day, was unusually empty this year. Concerns over water pollution and the presence of border patrol officers may have kept beachgoers away. Over the holiday break, the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality issued warnings to beachgoers, alerting them of high bacteria levels from sewage in the water flowing north of Tijuana. For over 20 years, sewage from Mexico has been draining into the Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. created a facility near the border to handle some of the sewage, but it has now been overwhelmed by the volume of untreated sewage. Adding to the unease, there has been an increased presence of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at the beach. At least three vehicles were spotted patrolling the empty beach. Mexico's border is just a short distance away from Silver Strand Beach, and under the Trump administration's strict immigration enforcement laws, it has reinforced fears within the immigrant communities.

With the nation’s political challenges and the environmental disasters on the California coast, residents, tourists, and students are left weighing whether a beach day is worth the risk.