Councilmember questions ICE arrest of parent near Chula Vista elementary school
CHULA VISTA (FOX 5/KUSI) — More information has come to light following an ICE arrest near Enrique Camarena Elementary School in Chula Vista Wednesday.
Chula Vista Elementary School District Superintendent, Dr. Eduardo Reyes said in a districtwide statement the same day of the incident that the arrest was off campus and reassured families that schools remain safe spaces for all students.
Cellphone video shows the moment federal immigration agents moved in during morning drop-off to arrest a parent of children who attend the school.
“Why would you do that in front of hundreds of children? It causes a lot of trauma. There’s no need to do this," said Councilmember Michael Inzunza, who represents District 3 where the campus is located.
Inzunza raised concerns about the way the arrest unfolded and said he was told two children were present while their mother was arrested.
“Our police chief informed me that the children were present and that another relative came to pick them up to make sure they were safe," said Inzunza.
According to Field Office Director Patrick Divver with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations San Diego, the woman arrested had a deportation order in absentia from July 15, 2022, and added the "arrest was part of ICE’s ongoing enforcement efforts and was resolved promptly, safely, and not on the school grounds.”
We asked ICE if the woman has been criminally charged but have not heard back.
“We’re seeing a lot more of the in absentia orders coming through of people who have previous deportations and removals getting picked up by ICE right now, so people who otherwise have clean records," said immigration law attorney Saman Nasseri.
He explained that an in absentia order means someone didn’t show up to their court date.
“DHS is moving to recalendar all of these cases from 2012, 2013, 2014 -- so don’t wait; file something now while you can while you qualify, if you qualify for something, and you may be able just to protect yourself from getting picked up," said Nasseri.
The CVESD superintendent also informed families and staff in his message that they “have strong protocols in place to prevent unauthorized access to their schools.”
“We can’t have federal agents just walking on the campus. They need federal warrants, so we want to make sure that we’re protecting our students," said Inzunza.
The district superintendent also recommends families create a plan that allows schools to care for a student in the event parents are unable to pick them up or drop off due to unforeseen circumstances.
