U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez is demanding answers after Border Patrol agents boarded a bus of Las Cruces High School students traveling to a swim meet, questioning students and causing distress. While Customs and Border Protection (CBP) claims the stop was a routine inspection at a checkpoint, Vasquez and parents criticize the agents’ actions, citing the students’ visible distress and the inappropriateness of targeting minors. The incident has sparked concerns about broader ICE enforcement practices and the potential for similar events. Vasquez has called for a full investigation and policy changes to prevent future occurrences.
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Assembly Bill 1955, the Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth Act (SAFETY), protects California teachers from dismissal for refusing to disclose a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity to parents without the student’s consent. The law, signed by Governor Newsom, aims to prevent schools from forcing teachers to act as “gender police,” prioritizing student well-being and the teacher-student relationship. While teachers can still communicate with parents about student safety concerns, the act prohibits punitive action against educators for withholding information regarding a student’s gender identity or sexuality. This legislation follows legal challenges to policies in Temecula and Chino Valley Unified School Districts that mandated parental notification of student gender identity changes. The new law is intended to safeguard LGBTQ+ youth and empower them to control the timing and manner of sharing sensitive personal information with their families.
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John Q. Hosedrinker