The Department of Homeland Security said it’s investigating security camera video that allegedly shows immigration agents urinating in a Pico Rivera high school’s parking lot.
The El Rancho School Unified District released the security video from Ruben Salazar High School on Wednesday. School board president John Contreras said it happened in the morning on June 17 when school was not in session.
“ERUSD surveillance footage captured approximately 10 ICE agents urinating near storage containers on the Salazar campus parking lot,” Contreras said.
While the campus was empty, Superintendent Marco Villegas said the incident happened near a city park and an elementary school, which was hosting summer classes. Villegas said he is not sure if the federal agents were in plain view of the students.
The school district stated that Homeland Security did not obtain permission before entering the campus and did not provide a reason for its agents’ presence in the high school parking lot.
“Not only did ICE agents unlawfully trespass ERUSD school grounds, but they did not exercise sound and respectful judgment,” Contreras said.
Criminal defense attorney Neama Rahmani said urinating in public is typically a misdemeanor offense.
“Any normal person or civilian who was urinating on school property could be charged with trespassing,” Rahmani said. “They could be charged with indecent exposure. They’re misdemeanors. Obviously, subsequent offenses may actually be felonies.”
Immigration agents have conducted multiple operations in Pico Rivera and throughout Los Angeles County over the past month.
