Vasquez responds to Border Patrol incident involving Las Cruces highschoolers

U.S. Congressman Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat, called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release more information about a bus of local high schoolers stopped and questioned by Border Patrol on Feb. 21.   

According to statements from multiple agencies and a Las Cruces coach, Border Patrol Agents bordered the bus as it reached the Interstate 25 checkpoint. The bus was ferrying students from Las Cruces High School, Centennial High School and Mayfield High School to a swim meet in Albuquerque.  

The incident follows weeks of uncertainty and fear generated by a slew of executive actions from the Trump Administration, which has promised to deport 20 million people as part of a mass deportation program. Vasquez, who represents the 2nd congressional district, held a press conference Monday afternoon to discuss the incident. 

"Harassing and frightening children does not make New Mexico safer. No student traveling to a school event should be subjected to intimidating enforcement actions," Vasquez said.  

After agents questioned the bus driver, who did not speak English, agents questioned students about their immigration status before allowing the bus to move on. The coach declined to comment to the Bulletin but in an interview with another media outlet, she characterized the Border Patrol agents as aggressive.  

On Feb. 24, The Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz released a statement about the incident. Ruiz said he “engaged in open and productive communication with U.S. Customs and Border Protection” on Monday and that the conversation included “implementation of proactive measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”  

“I understand the fear and uncertainty our students and staff must have felt in that situation,” Ruiz said. “We believe this was an isolated event, and we will continue to work with local and federal authorities to ensure students’ educational experiences are not disrupted. Our community is diverse, and every student, regardless of background, deserves to feel safe and supported while participating in school activities.” 

Border Patrol confirmed the incident happened, adding that the bus was unmarked.   

“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,” said a Border Patrol spokesperson.  

Still, Vasquez said that the incident was proof of the Trump administrations intentions.  

“We're entering a new world of immigration enforcement, and we don't know how far the Trump administration is willing to go to bully our citizens,” Vasquez said. 

“We need clear answers about why these students were subjected to this treatment and to ensure that this doesn't happen again, and our border enforcement should be focused on actual security threats, not harassing students, teachers and families,” he said.   

LCPS said this was an isolated incident. But Vasquez connected it to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement encounter on the Mescalero Apache Tribe in February when a tribe member reported an ICE agent requested to see a passport despite having no evidence the person was not a U.S. citizen.   

“We have a responsibility to hold these agencies accountable and demand that our government operates with fairness, transparency and respect for the people that it serves,” Vasquez said.