A Texas school district sent parents a letter Wednesday warning that Border Patrol agents may be boarding school buses and their children may be detained or deported.
The letter, which was also posted to Facebook but later deleted, warned that U.S. Border Patrol agents would possibly be boarding the school buses used for extracurricular activities at highway checkpoints and asking to see proof of legal citizenship.
“We want to bring to your attention an important matter regarding student travel for extracurricular activities, including sports, band, and other co-curricular events,” Alice Independent School District Superintendent Anysia Trevino wrote in the letter. “We have received information that U.S. Border Patrol agents may be boarding school buses at highway checkpoints in and out of the Valley to question students about their citizenship status.”
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The letter stated the ramifications if the student could not produce proper identification or documentation and went on to warn that if a student lies about their immigration status it could hinder them getting U.S. citizenship in the future.
“We strongly encourage families to be aware of the potential implications of these encounters. If a student is found to be without proper documentation, they may be removed from the bus, detained, and possibly deported under current immigration policies. Additionally, if a student provides false information regarding their citizenship, and it is later discovered, this could result in a permanent bar to future U.S. citizenship.”
Federal immigration law currently states that an individual that lies about being a U.S. citizen may be disqualified from receiving a green card or U.S. citizenship.
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The superintendent did advise she was looking at ways to add measures to lessen the impact and stated that any parent with concerns should reach out.
“To ensure that families are fully informed, we are reviewing our student travel waivers and may include language advising parents of this possibility,” the letter read.
“Furthermore, we are considering additional measures, such as having a designated chaperone vehicle travel with school buses. In the event that a student is detained, a school administrator in the chaperone vehicle would be able to stay with the student while the rest of the group continues their journey.”
This is not the first school district to address the change in immigration policies. West Oso ISD recently sent out a letter to its parents warning them of the change in policy and informing them of the procedures for its schools.
“I want to take a moment to address recent changes to immigration policies and how they may impact our District. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security reversed a policy that had previously limited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests at sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship,” it read.
The letter went on to say that they welcome all students regardless of their citizenship status.
“WOISD does not ask for, collect, or maintain any information regarding immigration status, as it is not relevant to our mission of serving students. Like any other law enforcement agency, ICE must check in, show identification, and present proper documentation before taking any action on our campuses. Should ICE execute a warrant at one of our schools, we will promptly notify parents,” the letter stated.
A statement released in January by a DHS spokesperson clarified that Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued two directives empowering law enforcement to protect Americans.
The first of those directives rescinds the Biden Administration’s guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement actions that thwart law enforcement in or near so-called “sensitive” areas.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminals including murderers and rapists who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
This action now allows law enforcement to enter schools, medical facilities, and places of worship to arrest undocumented immigrants. It also allows ICE agents to operate at events that had previously been protected under the policy, including weddings, funerals, and public demonstrations.
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