MIGRANTS APPROACHED SCHOOL BUSES IN DULZURA, BUT DID NOT TRY TO BOARD, SHERIFF SAYS

By Miriam Raftery

September 2, 2024 (Dulzura) – Migrants have twice approached school buses in the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District, sparking concerns among some parents.  However Superintendent Liz Bystedt, in a letter to families, says the Sheriff’s office has spoken with several witnesses and found no crime occurred.

Based on witness statements, the Superintendent’s letter states, “It appears that while several individuals approached the bus, there never appeared to be any intent to take over the bus or harm anyone. At no point in time did anyone other than the students enter the bus, or even get close to entering a bus.”

The first incident occurred Tuesday in Dulzura, a rural community in San Diego's East County, when three men walking along State Route 94 near Cochera Via tried to stop a bus that drove around the men. The next day, around 20 men reportedly came to the door of a bus stop at the same intersection, while a bus was picking up students.The men reportedly spoke to the driver, but none of them boarded the bus.

ABC 10 News spoke with immigration advocates, who said the men may have mistaken the school buses for public transit, since buses are the main form of transportation in many countries. The Sheriff’s office, in an e-mail to 10 News, an ECM news partner, confirmed, “It is not uncommon for community volunteers and charitable organizations to provide resources in these parts of the county, some of which operate vehicles similar to school buses.”

Several of the men were detained for being undocumented immigrants and are being processed for deportation, according to the Border Patrol.

Superintendent Bystedt said the district reported the incidents to the Sheriff and to the Border Patrol, as well as California Highway Patrol.

According to the district, Sheriff’s deputies and Border Patrol agents provided escorts for the school buses Thursday and Friday to ease parents’ concerns.

However the Superintendent emphasized that no students are ever dropped off alone along this route, and all are picked up by parents at this bus stop. Bus drivers have been instructed that if migrants are at a bus stop, the bus will not stop and will continue to the next stop. Parents are asked to follow the bus to the new location to pick up students.

While some parents and students have said they were frightened by the incidents, the Superintendent concluded, “It was simply a frightening situation because it was unfamiliar to us.  The Sheriff’s office will continue to remain vigilant to this issue and provide extra patrols along the bus routes.”