Some Colorado students left fearful after Border Patrol invited to high school career fair

Feeling unsafe isn't how students should feel at school, but it's what some students in the Roaring Fork School District said they felt during their school career fair a few weeks ago.

"High school shouldn't be a politically charged place," said Samuel, a junior at Glenwood Springs High School. "I was mad. I was outraged."

The school district held its annual career fair at Glenwood Springs High School on March 21, hoping to expose students to a variety of careers. 

But along with exhibitors from hospitals and businesses, the U.S. Border Patrol was also invited to the event, creating what some students said was an "unsafe" environment. 

Students interviewed by CBS News Colorado asked to hide their identities because of fear of retaliation.

"Growing up Latino, you're taught to stay away from them or if you see them, don't go towards them, because their job is to deport people like us and the fact that they were at my school was weird for me, and very uncomfortable," said Bela, a junior at GSHS. "Because they target Latino students and I'm a Latino student, even if you yourself might not be an immigrant, you have family and friends who are and it's just not OK."

About 35% of the mountain region identifies as Latino and that number is even higher for the school district, where about 60% of the student body is Latino. 

For many of the students, there's an inherent fear of encountering Border Patrol and there's a traumatic history that comes with it.

"There's multiple, lots of people in the community, who are perhaps undocumented or they are always in that fear of being taken away and losing their family, house, jobs," said Misael, a student. 

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said the agency, "attends numerous career fairs at colleges, universities, high schools, and other locations throughout the nation. CBP has a number of excellent career opportunities available that feature competitive salaries and an exceptional benefits package."

The spokesperson added, "CBP representatives attend career fairs to benefit students who might be seeking a career in law enforcement or civil service within the federal government. Representatives from CBP who attend career fairs are only there to discuss employment opportunities and not to conduct law-enforcement activities."

Voces Unidas de las Montañas was notified immediately when word got out that the agency was at the school. 

Alex Sánchez, the president and CEO of Voces, said this action, whether intentional or not, should have never happened and the actions by the district were insensitive.

"When something like this happens, it's traumatic. It really creates distrust in our community," Sánchez expressed. "We know too well how having federal law enforcement, it will trigger a negative response, where people will not go to school, will not go to work, because of fear. So, the fact that a school in our community invited border patrol, a federal immigration agency, it's not just unacceptable, it merits serious conversations and accountability by the school system and particularly the school principal, where this all happened."   

Back in 2012, it was reported that school resource officers with the district were collaborating with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which led to deportation proceedings of students and their family members. 

That led to the district signing a 2016 resolution, ensuring a safe haven for students, "free from intimidation, hostility or violence, including threat of deportation."

"It seems like they just violated their own resolution," said Junior Ortega, with Asociacion de Jovenes Unidos En Accion. "Where does the responsibility fall?"

A district spokesperson told CBS News Colorado that this year's expo was planned by an outside organization called, Youthentity, and this year, the district did not see the list of exhibitors ahead of time.

"Youthentity was the organizer of the career expo held at GSHS a couple of weeks ago. The purpose of the event is to connect students with professionals for discussions about careers including pathways for students, who may want to serve their community, state, and country in a law enforcement or military capacity," said Kirsten Petre McDaniel, a spokesperson for the organization. 

She added, "the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol was one of several law enforcement agencies present, only in a recruitment and career pathway discussion capacity, as they do at career fairs across the country. However, as I stated previously, I sincerely apologize to any student who was inadvertently hurt by their presence and we pledge to work closely with our school district to help ensure all students feel safe."

While the superintendent of the district, Dr. Jesús Rodríguez, released an apology letter to the community on the same day, principals of the high schools involved sent out a joint statement the following day, acknowledging the incident, but did not apologize for having border patrol present.

"I think that collectively we dropped the ball," Rodríguez said. "I think everybody who's a member of this community, including the principal of Glenwood High School ought to be accountable for the way that any of our students felt."

Since the incident the community has been calling on Paul Freeman, the principal of GSHS, to apologize individually, since that's where the event took place. 

At least 97 students, parents and community members sent him letters, asking to take accountability and apologize, but they told CBS News Colorado that he hasn't released a public apology.

"I think an apology needs to be issued at a minimum," Samuel said.

After days of trying to contact Freeman, on Tuesday he finally sent CBS News Colorado a statement saying:

"I completely agree with you there were students from across the district at the career expo who were hurt by the presence of border patrol, and I want to be very clear that I am sorry that some students felt this way — I am sorry anytime a student experiences fear or trauma. I am now focused on connecting directly with affected students to learn how we might support them and on plugging the gap in our systems that created this lamentable situation."