Pico Rivera, California: School surveillance cameras captured an unsettling scene at Ruben Salazar High School in Pico Rivera, California, on June 17, when nearly a dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were seen urinating on storage containers near a playground.
This incident has raised serious concerns among school officials, who are now seeking answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The Incident and Trespassing Claims
According to members of the El Rancho Unified School District (ERUSD), approximately 10 marked and unmarked vehicles, carrying ICE agents, entered the school’s grounds without prior permission.
School staff immediately informed the agents that they did not have authorization to be on the campus and asked them to leave. However, the agents allegedly remained on the property without providing any legal justification or showing a judicial warrant for their presence.
The school district documented the agents’ actions in a letter addressed to DHS Secretary Krist Noem, expressing concern over the lack of explanation for the agents’ presence and their disregard for school property and rules.
Surveillance Footage Reveals Public Urination
After the agents left the premises, school officials discovered a troubling detail: surveillance footage showed multiple ICE agents urinating in public view, near storage containers on the campus grounds.
According to the school’s letter, around 10 agents were observed relieving themselves between 8:54 a.m. and 9:04 a.m., all while the school was in session, and the area was near a preschool playground and an elementary school.
School officials pointed out that the public urination occurred right next to a playground where young children were present. “Any reasonable person, of any profession, entering Salazar where the ICE agents were urinating would clearly recognize the surroundings to be those of a school where minors are taught,” the district’s letter read.
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The Call for Accountability
In response to the incident, the ERUSD has requested a full investigation into the actions of the ICE agents involved.
They are asking for the names, titles, and badge numbers of each agent, officer, and supervisor present during the trespassing, as well as an explanation for the public urination that occurred on school grounds.
The district’s letter emphasizes that the agents’ actions not only violated school property but also posed a risk to the safety and well-being of students, particularly the preschool children in close proximity to the incident.
DHS Responds
A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security has acknowledged that the incident is under investigation but provided no further details on the matter.
What are your thoughts on this incident? How should law enforcement agencies ensure respect for educational institutions and public spaces? Share your views in the comments below.
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