A group of up to 20 migrants attempted to board school buses filled with children in Southern California, according to officials.
The incidents occurred along two different school routes near Highway 94 and Cochera in San Diego County, as reported by the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District. Superintendent Liz Bystedt informed parents that on Tuesday, three migrants were seen walking in the middle of the highway, trying to stop a school bus, which forced the bus to maneuver around them.
The following morning, around 20 migrants rushed towards another bus while it was picking up students at the same location. Parents present at the scene assisted the bus driver in preventing the migrants from boarding the bus, according to Fox5 San Diego.
Nicole Cardinale, a parent, shared with Fox 5 that her eight-year-old son’s bus was one of those involved, describing the situation as “really scary.” She said, “He said these adults—they weren’t kids—had backpacks on and they were trying to get on [his bus]… He said there was a lot of them.”
Superintendent Bystedt has stated that for “the safety of students and bus drivers,” buses will now bypass stops where migrants are present, proceeding to the next stop on the route. She advised parents, “Please stay vigilant, and if the bus drives by, please follow the bus to pick up your child at the next stop.”
The motive behind the migrants’ attempts to board the buses remains unclear. However, migrant advocate Pedro Rios suggested to Fox 5 that the extreme heat and difficult terrain in the area might have led to their behavior.
The school district has reported these incidents to U.S. Border Patrol, the California Highway Patrol, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Office. In a statement to Fox 5, the Sheriff’s Department said, “The San Diego Sheriff’s Office was made aware of this incident today. We are conducting a follow-up investigation to determine if a criminal act has occurred. The Sheriff’s Office takes issues regarding student safety very seriously and are working with the school district to keep the students and our community safe.”
