California school district says sorry for turning away Border Patrol recruiter from high school event

The Coachella Valley Unified School District in California issued an apology following an incident where a U.S. Border Patrol recruiter was mistakenly turned away from a high school career fair due to a misunderstanding.

The district acknowledged that the Border Patrol recruiter was unintentionally denied entry to the event at Coachella Valley High School by the school’s principal on Wednesday.

“We want to emphasize that we do not support this action, and we will be taking appropriate measures to address the situation and prevent a recurrence,” stated the district in a press release. 

A street view of Coachella Valley High School. The principal denied a U.S. Border Patrol recruiter entry to the school during a Wednesday career fair.  (Google Maps)

In a subsequent post, he thanked the school district for its apology. 

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with them for the benefit of our youth & students,” he wrote. 

The high hosted 36 vendors at its career fair on Wednesday, the Desert Sun reported. Bovino said the U.S. Border Patrol has been invited to participate in the high school’s college and career fair for three years to promote careers in federal law enforcement.

Earlier this year, the district began equipping schools with red cards, known as “Know Your Rights” cards, to help people assert their rights and defend themselves if they encounter federal immigration authorities, the newspaper reported. 

Last week, the school board approved a policy addressing immigration-related concerns, including how to respond to immigration enforcement.