Border Patrol Board New Mexico High School Bus – Right Or Wrong?

A Texas school district warned parents that ICE agents might board school busses. It actually happened near Las Cruces, New Mexico and a state Rep isn't happy.

AISD in Alice, Texas issued a warning to parents saying ICE agents might board school busses and deport students illegally in the USA. Officials with ICE denied that and the school took down the warnings posted on their website and Facebook page.

in New Mexico though, Border Patrol agents actually did board a school bus. They can and will check any vehicle passing through a checkpoint and, sometimes, elsewhere.

It happened at one along I-25 when a busload of high school students headed to a swim meet was boarded.

"The agents' primary objective was to verify the legal status of the passengers," the statement said. "After completing the verification process, all individuals were confirmed to be legally present in the country and the agents disembarked without incident." - koat

Part of the problem was the bus had no markings identifying it as a school bus which led to what the Border Patrol called a "routine immigration inspection" of a "standard charter vehicle".

Even if it had been marked though, once again, any vehicle passing through a checkpoint is subject to search and inspection(s) by the Border Patrol.

Checkpoint operations include brief immigration inspections that are minimally intrusive to the traveling public. - kgnstv

Was This Action Right Or Wrong?

Despite the officers simply doing what they're paid to do, Rep.  Gabe Vasquez called it "harassment". He said the situation was escalated when BP boarded the bus after questioning the driver who did not speak English.

However ...

Human trafficking is a huge industry involving millions of victims and billions of dollars. Being that traffickers prefer teens and young adults; an unmarked bus, loaded with kids and a driver that can't speak English seems reasonable cause to ask a few simple questions.