Migrants detained after approaching East County school buses: CBP

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The migrants who approached two school buses operated by the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District earlier this week were taken into Border Patrol custody, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Friday.

The incidents, which occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday along Highway 94 near Cochera Via, lead to minor interruptions of the school bus routes, according to district officials.

Border Patrol agents immediately responded to both incidents, the CBP spokesperson added, and detained the unspecified number of individuals for entering the U.S. unlawfully. All have also been transported to nearby processing centers for “enrollment in removal proceedings.”

A separate criminal investigation by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department determined no local crime occurred, as none of the migrants attempted to forcefully stop or enter either bus, as the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Friday.

The area where the interactions occurred was also a considered a frequent site immigration nonprofits visit to provide assistance to migrants.

The first encounter occurred Tuesday afternoon, when a group of three men walked in the middle of Highway 94 to flag down a bus, the school district’s superintendent, Liz Bystedt, said in a note to families Wednesday . The bus then went around the group without incident.

Another school bus encountered a group of about 20 individuals the following morning as it was picking up students from the same stop. According to Bystedt, parents present at the site helped the bus driver ensure students were safe and that no one boarded the bus.

In her letter, she also said extra security measures were put in place as soon as she was made aware of the incidents “for the safety of students and bus drivers.” Border Patrol, California Highway Patrol and the sheriff’s department were also immediately contacted.

“We will continue to work with law enforcement on the matter,” Bystedt said in a follow-up letter Wednesday afternoon. “We have put additional protocols in place and notified parents of bus riders.”

Authorities with the San Diego Sector of Border Patrol are encouraging members of the public to contact 9-1-1 or the Border Patrol dispatch directly at 619-498-9900 if “they observe suspicious activity.”

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