A local California education board member, Maya Phillips, has defended her controversial comments that suggested deportation was better for the student-to-teacher ratio as "more illegal aliens with children are deported". The comments were made during a meeting of the Ramona Unified School District. Phillips defended her comments, stating they were an "unemotional observation" about the practical effects of immigration enforcement policies. She also stated that her comments were taken out of context and that her observation only applied to those in the country illegally. San Diego County, home to an estimated 150,000+ undocumented immigrants, has been particularly affected by immigration enforcement.