U.S. Border Patrol agents were disinvited from a career fair at a San Diego high school after several people complained to the principal that they could “create an uncomfortable atmosphere for some students” at the majority Hispanic school.

Education reform advocate Sally Smith told Breitbart News that one of the students in a popular criminal justice class requested that Border Patrol agents attend the career fair. However, according to Smith, a couple of teachers found out and objected to the Border Patrol attending.
A compromise was proposed, but Smith said that the teachers then urged students from the school’s MEChA club to “go to the principal and say they were afraid that Border Patrol presence on campus made them feel unsafe.”
MEChA is a radical group that believes that several states in the U.S. actually belong to Mexican-Americans, and should be surrendered to “La Raza” once illegal or legal immigrants attain a majority, according to a 2006 Human Events report.

According to the 10 News report, the Lincoln High student body is 63 per cent Hispanic.

U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector provided Breitbart News with the following comment:

San Diego Sector’s School Resource Officers (SROs) were invited by staff members at Lincoln High School, located in San Diego, to attend their career fair on February 11, 2016. A few of the staff members at the school heard that Border Patrol agents were going to attend this career fair and protested against our presence at the school, saying we would create an uncomfortable atmosphere for some students. After speaking with the principal of Lincoln High School, he asked that we not attend the school function in order to avoid any further controversy on campus and among staff and students.

San Diego Unified School District officials told 10 News that a group of students had approached the principal with concerns. They also that the Border Patrol had decided not to participate by mutual agreement with the school.

In a statement, school district officials stated that they were balancing the task of preparing students for college and work with the task of promoting diversity.

Immigration activist Pedro Rios of the American Friends Service Committee commented to 10 News that the mere sight of Border Patrol in a school could stir up student feelings of “uneasiness and fear” associated with what he referred to as traumatic immigration raids.

In June 2010, local public television station  KPBS reported that about 30 Lincoln High students spent day one of their high school vacation protesting at a Border Patrol office in Chula Vista. Lincoln High teacher Kiki Ochoa applauded the students, who implied wrongdoing on the part of Border Patrol in the deaths of two people along the U.S. southern border.

Two School Resource Officers (SROs) with the U.S. Border Patrol serve public and private schools in San Diego County. They are regularly invited to attend school event,s including career fairs and regular 4-13 week programs, such as Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) and Junior Achievement.

“Border Patrol’s SROs attended over 100 school-related events in 2015. This year, the SROs have already attended over 20 events at area schools,” BP San Diego told Breitbart News.

The plan going forward is to allow interested students to take a field trip to visit the Border Patrol, according to 10 News, and to hold a forum including the Border Patrol to discuss the concerns of those who opposed the presence of the agents at the career fair.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana