EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-New Mexico, says he wants answers after his office received reports that U.S. Border Patrol agents boarded a bus of Las Cruces High School students and “harassed” them Friday, Feb. 21 when they were on their way to a swim meet in Albuquerque.
Vasquez’s office says they were told that students and coaches were aboard a charter bus on Friday when they were stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint.
“The situation escalated after agents questioned the driver, who was unable to respond in English. Rather than de-escalating, an agent proceeded to board the bus, ignored attempts by coaches to explain the situation, and demanded information from the students, leaving them rattled and shaken,” Vasquez’s office said.
“Harassing and frightening children does not make New Mexico safer,” Vasquez said in the news release. “No student should have to fear law enforcement while traveling to a school event.”
A Customs and Border Protection spokesman said the charter bus was unmarked without any school markings and that Border Patrol routinely inspects charter buses that go through checkpoints.
The CBP spokesperson said checkpoint inspections in the El Paso sector “play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of our nation’s borders.”
“They are instrumental in deterring illegal immigration and ensuring that those traveling away from the border comply with immigration laws. By conducting these inspections, Border Patrol agents help safeguard the security and well-being of communities throughout the United States,” the CBP spokesperson said.
According to CBP, Border Patrol agents from the Las Cruces station conducted “a routine immigration inspection” on Friday, Feb. 21 at a checkpoint on Interstate 25.
During the inspection, agents boarded an unmarked charter bus carrying personnel from the Las Cruces Independent School District, CBP said.
The bus had no school decals and as such was treated as a standard charter vehicle. The agents’ primary objective was to verify the legal status of the passengers, CBP said.
After completing the verification process, all individuals were confirmed to be legally present in the country and the agents left without incident, CBP said.
Vasquez’s office, meanwhile, says reports of harassment by federal agents extend beyond this incident, Vasquez’s office said.
Vasquez’s office said that tribal members and U.S. citizens have “been targeted simply because they speak Spanish or their appearance.”
“Additionally, recent policy rollbacks have removed protections against enforcement actions in sensitive locations, including schools, churches, childcare centers, and hospitals — further jeopardizing public safety, particularly in our schools,” Vasquez’s office said.
Vasquez’s office said the congressman, who represents Southern New Mexico, is “demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and calling for transparency regarding enforcement actions involving children, particularly on school buses and in other sensitive locations.”
“Incidents like this, along with reports of harassment of Tribal members and other American citizens simply because they speak Spanish or have brown skin, are unacceptable,” Vasquez said in the news release.
Las Cruces Public Schools said the district is “aware” of the incident and hopes “this was an isolated event, as all students, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to a free public education” per a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Here is the full statement from LCPS:
“LCPS administration is aware of this incident that reportedly happened Friday morning. Our students were traveling to a state competition in a chartered bus that was not visibly marked as Las Cruces Public Schools. Our students and coaches complied with instructions from Border Patrol agents and were on their way shortly.
“We hope this was an isolated event, as all students, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to a free public education according to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982). The activity our students were attending is an extension of our educational program and were under the supervision of school district officials.”
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