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Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) expressed serious concerns following reports that U.S. Border Patrol agents harassed a group of Las Cruces High School students while they were traveling to a swim meet in Albuquerque.
Source: U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (New Mexico’s 2nd District)
Photo: Courtesy Department of Defense
Photo Caption: U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and U.S. Marines with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, survey the southern border wall near San Ysidro, California, Feb. 6, 2025. U.S. Northern Command is working together with the Department of Homeland Security with the emplacement of physical barriers to add additional security that will curtail illegal border crossings. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Luc Boatman)
Note: The press release states the students were from “Las Cruces High School”. It should be clarified that students from at least three local high schools (Centennial, Mayfield and Las Cruces High School) were slated to compete in the NMAA 2025 State Championship. It is unconfirmed, but likely this detention involved students from more than just one local school.
On Friday, the office of U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez was notified that students and coaches were aboard a charter bus 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.
“Harassing and frightening children does not make New Mexico safer,” said Vasquez. “No student should have to fear law enforcement while traveling to a school event.”
Reports of harassment by federal agents extend beyond this incident. Recently, Tribal members and American 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.
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Vasquez 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,” added Vasquez.
The further militarization of our broader community…
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One response to “Newly Militarized “La Migra” Detains and Questions Our Broader Community’s Best and Brightest Children on their way to NMAA High School State Swimming and Diving Championships”
[…] On February 1, 2025, Executive Order “Imposing Duties to Address the Situation at Our Southern Border” was signed into existence. The broad scope of this order provided legal cover for Customs and Border Protection agents to detain, interrogate and harass a bus full of high school swimmers sixty miles north of the border. (See: “Newly Militarized “La Migra” Detains and Questions Our Broader Community’s Best and Brightest …“) […]