Footage appears to show Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents urinating on the grounds of a Los Angeles public school, which they described as a “deeply disturbing” incident.
Members of the El Rancho Unified School District Board wrote to the Department of Homeland Security to complain about the alleged incident and accused the ICE agents of risking “exposing themselves to minors.”
It follows a period of heightened tension in LA and Southern California as communities push back against ICE and the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation agenda.
The school board claimed the agents urinated against a storage container beside the playground of the Ruben Salazar High School in Pico Rivera on the morning of June 17. It was also close to where students were in session.
Footage shared by the school appears to confirm the claims, as one by one the agents walk toward the storage container and stand for a few moments.
The DHS did not respond to questions about the alleged incident when approached by The Independent, other than to confirm “the matter is under investigation.”
“A review of ERUSD video surveillance from the date of the Incident reveals that ERUSD’s video footage captured approximately ten ICE agents urinating near storage containers on the Salazar campus’ parking lot,” the school board wrote in a letter on July 2 addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Any reasonable person, of any profession, entering Salazar where the ICE agents were urinating would clearly recognize the surroundings to be those of a school where minors are taught,” the letter continued.
“ICE agents unlawfully trespassed ERUSD school grounds and did not exercise sound and respectful judgment with the risk of exposing themselves to minors and committing a public offense under California law.”
The school also accused ICE agents of unlawfully trespassing and requested the department hand over the names and badge numbers of each of the agents and their supervisors who “aided, allowed, caused and permitted such unlawful behavior to take place.”
It was a “deeply concerning” incident, the letter added.
District staff claimed that the agents failed to provide any judicial warrant or legitimate reason for being on school grounds. The agents did leave after staff told them they did not have permission to enter the school, the LA Times reports. The reason for the agents’ presence on campus remains unknown, the outlet added.
In April, the board issued a warning about ICE operations in the area. “The ERUSD board wants its students, staff, families and community to know and understand that maintaining a safe and supportive environment at each ERUSD school site is at the forefront our of our actions and policies,” school board president John Contreras said.
“These actions by DHS and ICE agents raise alarming and pressing questions regarding ICE’s behavior and judgment.”
Their warnings follow the anti-ICE protests that erupted across Southern California last month following aggressive raids in LA.
The Trump administration took a heavy handed approach to the protests, deploying the National Guard to support local authorities to deal with demonstrators.
