Photo: Mexican Immigrant Hops U.S. School Bus at Border, Faces Immigration Violations
A young Mexican man is facing a number of immigration violations after grabbing a ride with a public school bus in Deming, New Mexico near the U.S.-Mexico border.
A spokesman for the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol stated that on the morning of Thursday, September 15, an 18-year-old male used the school bus service from the Columbus Port of Entry to Deming. Though the spokesman did not give additional details, he stated that the investigation in ongoing and that the young man faces penalties for numerous immigration violations, which include illegal entry and fraudulent use of a document.
Though it is rare, Ray Trejo Jr. director of DPS transportation said it does happen, and the school district is currently in the process of implementing a electronic pass system, requiring children to swipe a card in a scanner before boarding the bus.
“The Zpass system is something that we are just now implementing,” Trejo said. “It takes a little time, because we have to verify students on the school bus, make changes to the roster, then, when that’s cleaned up, we can start issuing Zpasses.”
At the start of each school year, bus drivers are given a passenger list with photos of the children.
