For the second time in a week, a group of migrants unintentionally fled to a New Mexico middle school near the Mexican border as they attempted to cross into the U.S.
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol confirmed they responded to two calls at the Santa Teresa Middle School in Sunland Park, New Mexico, to address incidents involving migrants trying to evade capture, according to KFOX-TV.
As recently as Wednesday, six migrants were arrested outside the school, prompting it to go into a temporary lockdown.
"The Santa Teresa Middle School is one of the areas where these migrants jump into without thinking of where they're going through because they're trying to evade arrest," Customs and Border Patrol Spokesperson Refugio Corrales told the station.
Gadsden ISD Superintendent Travis Dempsey called the incidents "concerning" as they do "at some level interrupt our educational process when we do things of this nature."
Parents have voiced their concerns for their students' safety.
Meanwhile, federal authorities said they've added more Border Patrol agents to monitor the area during school hours.
"It is common for Border Patrol Agents to receive calls from the community in the Sunland Park, N.M., area, especially those impacted by migrants who often conceal themselves inside of properties. This is due to the proximity of the border and as such, many migrants attempt to evade arrest from the U.S. Border Patrol. Agents are always mindful of the safety and well-being of not only migrants but the public at large, especially in and around schools in this area," the agency also said in a statement obtained by the station.
