A U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint, shown here in 2025.
Courtesy of Organ Mountain News
Unions call for answers after Border Patrol agents reportedly asked students for documentation
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
UPDATE: This article was updated at 4:17 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, to include a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
LAS CRUCES – New Mexico teachers unions are raising concerns over reports that federal agents boarded a school bus carrying student-athletes and asked for proof of citizenship.
The incident reportedly took place at around 7:15 Friday morning at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 25 north of Las Cruces. According to school officials, agents stopped a chartered bus transporting Las Cruces High School’s swim team to a competition in Albuquerque. Witnesses say agents boarded the bus and requested documentation from the students, speaking in Spanish. The team’s coach, Pamela Quiñones, intervened, explaining that the students spoke English and were part of the school’s swim team. The agents then left the bus without further questioning.
“Without hesitation he jumped on the bus and didn’t ask the adults any more questions,” Quiñones told Heath Haussamen of Haussamen.com. “He just started walking in the bus and started yelling in Spanish, demanding documentation from all the passengers.”
Students, she said, were left clearly rattled and confused by the experience.
Quiñones told Haussamen she has been in contact with school district officials, including Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz. To ensure Border Patrol recognizes the academic purpose of school trips, the district is implementing additional measures.
Julie Wojtko, president of the National Education Association-Las Cruces, said these efforts include creating magnetic signs for charter buses to indicate they are transporting students and providing chaperones with official letters outlining the trip’s purpose, Haussamen reported.
Unions leaders speak out
Leaders from the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico, National Education Association New Mexico, NEA Las Cruces, and the Classified School Employees Council-Las Cruces issued a joint statement condemning the reported actions.
“We are deeply troubled by reports from educators and chaperones in Las Cruces Public Schools who said agents assigned to a federal checkpoint north of Las Cruces boarded a chartered bus carrying student-athletes and demanded documentation and proof of citizenship,” the statement read.
Union leaders said the incident has already caused distress among students and families.
“The chilling effects of actions such as these are detrimental to the well-being of our student population, their families, and our larger community,” the statement continued. “Under no circumstance should students be harassed, intimidated, or frightened by federal agents either while in school or while participating in school activities.”
The LCPS administration has responded by reviewing protocols for student travel and exploring policies to prevent similar incidents. District officials have not released a public statement but have reportedly been in communication with school staff and parents.
Union leaders also called for an investigation by federal lawmakers.
“We call upon our federal delegation to seek answers about the circumstances of this incident and uplift the needs of our Las Cruces community in order for our rights as educators and students to be respected and our communities to not live in fear under the Trump administration.”
Rep. Gabe Vasquez weighs in
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., said his office is in discussions with federal immigration agencies to clarify procedures at inland checkpoints and border crossings as the Trump administration enforces stricter deportation measures.
“We’re actively working to inform the public and ensure people have access to legal representation and resources to push back,” Vasquez told Haussamen.com.
He noted that Southern New Mexico has a long history of immigration, referencing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which brought the region into U.S. territory in 1848, and the Gadsden Purchase, which later expanded the country’s southwestern border.
“A lot of our constituents tell me the border crossed them — not the other way around,” Vasquez said. “We want to protect that history, that culture, and the traditions without fear of being singled out or deported.”
Vasquez also warned that continued enforcement actions could lead to greater resistance from Hispanic communities.
“There’s a limit to how far this administration can go before people in this district and others like it start pushing back,” he said.
U.S. Border Patrol responds
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials issued a statement Sunday afternoon, describing the stop as a “routine immigration inspection” of a “standard charter vehicle” that lacked markings identifying it as a school bus.
“The agents’ primary objective was to verify the legal status of the passengers,” the statement said. “After completing the verification process, all individuals were confirmed to be legally present in the country, and the agents disembarked without incident.”
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. He can be reached at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or on X at @damienwillis.
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