High School students stopped and questioned by border patrol
By Cristiana Ramos
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KOAT) — What U.S Customs and Border Protection describes as a “routine immigration inspection” quickly sparked outrage in the Las Cruces community last week.
“New Mexico is a bilingual state by law, and simply because the driver did not speak English, that gives an agent the right to check the documentation of every student headed to a swim meet?” Rep. Gabe Vasquez asked in a press conference on Monday. “I don’t think anyone wants to live like that.”
Las Cruces Public Schools told KOAT in a statement that a bus filled with students was stopped at a border patrol checkpoint on Friday, Feb. 24, while they were traveling to a state swim competition. Border Patrol said agents boarded the bus to check the legal status of its passengers because the bus was unmarked.
Under federal law, CBP had the right to do an unwarranted search, but Whitney Holland with the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico division said the incident instilled fear in the students.
“It was the yelling at the students, it was the demanding proof of citizenship that escalated the situation,” she said.
Vasquez demanded answers from the Department of Homeland Security about the incident.
“We need clear answers about why these students were subjected to this kind of treatment to ensure this doesn’t happen again and that our border enforcement should be focused on actual security threats,” he said.
He also is demanding better guidance from border patrol to help schools navigate checkpoints so this doesn’t happen again. He said there have been similar incidents but never to this extent.
The Republican Party of New Mexico called Vasquez’s comments “reckless rhetoric that demonizes law enforcement, stoking fear among our youth and undermining the trust we need in those who serve.”
Las Cruces Public Schools added, “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.”
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