Sheriffs are patrolling routes in San Diego County after migrants who entered the country illegally attempted to board school buses.
In the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District, migrants attempted to stop a school bus, forcing it to maneuver around them.
The following day, on August 28, border agents arrested six people after almost two-dozen attempted to board a bus carrying schoolchildren, prompting the driver to intervene.
Nicole Cardinale told Fox 5 that her eight-year-old son described the encounter to her, calling it “really scary”.
“He said these adults – they weren’t kids – had backpacks on and they were trying to get on … He said there was a lot of them,” she said.
Liz Bystedt, Superintendent of Schools for the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District, told parents that school bus drivers have now been ordered not to stop if waved down by migrants.
The CBP said, “Several individuals were taken into custody without incident for being illegally present in the United States.
“All individuals taken into custody were transported to nearby processing centers for enrollment in removal proceedings.”
School bus waits for students. A community in San Diego County reported multiple incidents involving attempts by migrants to board school buses in the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District.
AP
Texas senator Ted Cruz said on his podcast Verdict that migrants attempting to board school buses is a “profound threat to public safety.”
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas speaks at Day 2 of the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI, July 16, 2024. Cruz said on his podcast Verdict that migrants attempting to board school buses is a “profound threat to public safety.”
Photo by Anthony Behar//Sipa USA
“Our families are in danger because Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and congressional Democrats have chosen to allow violent criminals into this country,” he said.
Cruz accused the migrants of attempting to “kidnap” buses full of schoolchildren, a claim not corroborated by the CBP’s statement nor the Sheriff’s office.
In an email to families, Superintendent Liz Bystedt said, “There never appeared to be any intent to take over the bus or harm anyone. At no point and time did anyone other than the students enter a bus, or even get close to entering a bus. While there are several factors that might have been at play in why they wanted to get onto the bus, it does not appear that any of them were criminal in nature.”
Bystedt said that following the incident, for the safety of students and bus drivers, buses will now bypass stops where migrants are present, continuing to the next scheduled stop instead.
“I want to emphasize again that the bus was neither stormed nor hijacked. No threats were made. It was simply a frightening situation because it was unfamiliar to us,” Bystedt said.
A statement from San Diego’s Sheriff’s Office said: “To ensure the safety of the students, Sheriff’s Deputies have been providing extra patrols on the school bus routes since Thursday. The Sheriff’s Office recognizes the concern from the community and has been working alongside the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District to provide reassurance to the families impacted by these events.”
To ensure safety, deputies increased patrols along the bus route throughout the week.
Following the incident, which raised alarms for parents, the district reported the incidents to the U.S. Border Patrol, California Highway Patrol, and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
It remains unknown at this time if the migrants thought the bus was for members of the public or belonged to an advocacy group providing aid for migrants.
The sheriff’s office noted that it is common for volunteers and immigration advocacy groups to offer assistance in the areas of the county where the bus routes operate, with some using vehicles that resemble school buses.
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