by Authorities reported Thursday that a parent was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers outside Chula Vista’s Enrique S. Camarena Elementary School.
During the morning drop-off time on Wednesday, the arrest took place. Federal agents were seen approaching a car on the street in cell phone footage that witnesses took and uploaded online.
In a statement released Thursday, Patrick Divver, the field officer director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in San Diego, stated that an immigration judge in San Diego in 2022 had ordered the deportation of an arrested lady in absentia.
As part of ICE’s continuous enforcement activities, the arrest was made quickly, safely, and off school property. According to Divver, the incident did not involve the school and had no effect on the students, faculty, or school property.
Following the arrest, Superintendent Eduardo Reyes of Chula Vista Elementary School District wrote to staff and families to let them know that procedures were in place to prevent illegal entry into schools and to restrict the interaction of law enforcement officers with students unless there was an active emergency or a warrant.
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“We want to reassure you that our schools remain safe spaces for all students, as we understand that this may cause concern,” Reyes wrote.
Reyes advised families to make arrangements for the district to look after their children in the event that unanticipated events prevent you from being able to pick them up or leave them off.
The Chula Vista Elementary School District is dedicated to serving all students, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, he added in his letter.
