ICE agents seen urinating on grounds of California school, officials say
The incident, according to members of the El Rancho Unified School District (ERUSD), occurred on June 17 after an estimated 10 marked and unmarked vehicles carrying agents entered and parked on the campus of Ruben Salazar High School.
School staff informed the federal agents that they did not have permission to enter or stay on campus grounds and asked them to leave.
'Please note that at no time was a legal or legitimate reason offered or provided as to why the ICE agents entered and remained on school grounds, nor did they provide any judicial warrant(s),' states the letter, addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Krist Noem.
After the federal officers complied and left, school officials issued an alert informing the community of the agents' brief presence on the campus.
'Immediately after the incident, ERUSD staff advised ERUSD executive management that they observed ICE agents urinating at Salazar in public view,' the letter continues.
A review of the school's surveillance cameras appears to back up the claim, with agents seen on the footage walking back and forth between several different storage containers and, presumably, their vehicles.
School officials noted in the letter that somewhere around 10 agents relieved themselves in broad daylight on the district's property between 8:54 a.m. and 9:04 a.m. local time.
'Immediately adjacent to one of the storage containers is a preschool playground used by the ERUSD's Early Learning Program staff and children, with its blacktop clearly marked with playground markings,' officials said.
Another one of the containers used by agents is next to Smith Park and Valencia Academy of the Arts Elementary School, which was in session for summer school at the time of the incident.
'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 states. 'ICE agents unlawfully trespassed ERUSD school grounds and did not exercise sound and respectful judgment with the risk of exposing themselves to minors and committing a public offense under California law.'
The district finished the letter by requesting the names, titles and badge numbers of each agent, officer, supervisor or representative who was present and allowed the incident to take place.
In a statement to KTLA, a spokesperson for DHS would only say that the 'matter is under investigation.'
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