CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Update: On Thursday night Alice ISD released a response on Facebook addressing the original statement made by the superintendent that has since been deleted on social media regarding immigration enforcement.
“In fact, it is our understanding that key members of the US Border Patrol have indicated that school buses and children will not be targeted. We are appreciative of the clarification,” Alice ISD Superintendent Anysia Trevino said in the statement.
In the release, Trevino said the district will continue to comply with state and federal laws regarding the issue. Making student safety a top priority.
Below is the newly released statement issued Thursday night.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks addressed a “news report that we’re gonna target school buses and children on school buses,” Thursday morning in an interview on Fox & Friends.
“It’s absurd,” he said, saying his “abuela” is a naturalized Mexican citizen.
“We’re not targeting US citizens, we’re not targeting people that are in this country illegally, right? We don’t have the authority to go after someone who’s in this country illegally. We’re targeting criminals and those that have broken the law and entered the country illegally.”
A letter warning that U.S. Border Patrol agents could board school buses carrying students to extracurricular activities near the Rio Grande Valley was posted by the Alice Independent School District on Wednesday.
The letter, signed by superintendent Anysia Trevino, states that buses could be inspected at checkpoints approaching the Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday night.
The letter was later deleted.
“We strongly encourage families to be aware of the potential implications of these encounters,” it read. “If a student is found to be without proper documentation, they may be removed from the bus, detained, and possibly deported under current immigration policies. Additionally, if a student provides false information regarding their citizenship and it is later discovered, this could result in a permanent bar to future U.S. citizenship.”
3NEWS has reached out to the district regarding the letter Wednesday and Thursday.
Alice ISD did not issue any further comment on the letter late Wednesday night, and said the district would be releasing a statement Thursday.
That statement had not been received by 5 p.m., and the district has disabled comments on its Facebook page.
Digital director Ana Tamez contributed to this developing story. Stay with 3NEWS for more details.
