In a disturbing turn of events this week, the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District in Southern California faced two alarming incidents involving groups of migrants attempting to board school buses filled with children. The incidents have raised serious concerns about safety and security, prompting swift action from school officials and law enforcement.

The first incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of Highway 94 and Cochera Via. According to Superintendent Liz Bystedt, three migrants were seen walking in the middle of the highway, trying to stop one of the school buses. The bus driver was forced to maneuver around the group, avoiding what could have been a potentially dangerous situation.

However, the situation escalated the following morning when approximately 20 migrants rushed another school bus as it was picking up students from the same stop. Thankfully, parents who were present at the scene quickly intervened, helping the bus driver ensure that none of the migrants boarded the bus.

Nicole Cardinale, whose eight-year-old son was on one of the affected buses, described the incident as “really scary,” noting that her son observed the adults trying to board the bus with backpacks on.

In response to these unsettling events, Superintendent Bystedt announced a new protocol: buses will now skip stops where migrants are present and proceed directly to the next stop on the route. She urged parents to remain vigilant and follow the bus if it bypasses a stop to ensure their children’s safety.

The motives behind the migrants’ attempts to board the buses remain unclear. Pedro Rios, a migrant advocate, suggested that the extreme heat and difficult terrain in the area might have driven the migrants to desperate actions. However, these incidents have understandably rattled the community, raising questions about the security of school transportation routes in border regions.

The school district has reported the incidents to the U.S. Border Patrol, California Highway Patrol, and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. In a statement, the Sheriff’s Office emphasized that they take student safety very seriously and are conducting a follow-up investigation to determine if any criminal activity occurred.

San Diego has become the busiest corridor for illegal crossings, a trend that has only intensified in recent months. The region’s draw for migrants is partly due to its proximity to Tijuana, one of Mexico’s largest cities, and the perception that San Diego offers a safer crossing point.

The influx of people from a wide variety of countries, including Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and even nations as far afield as India and Vietnam, adds complexity to the situation. Unlike nearby regions where deportation processes are more streamlined, the diversity of nationalities in San Diego makes enforcement and repatriation efforts more challenging.