Surveillance footage allegedly shows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents urinating in broad daylight on the grounds of Ruben Salazar High School in Pico Rivera, California, raising alarm among school officials and prompting demands for a federal investigation.
According to the El Rancho Unified School District (ERUSD), the incident occurred the morning of June 17 and involved roughly 10 ICE agents in both marked and unmarked vehicles. The school campus, which sits adjacent to a preschool playground and an elementary school with summer classes in session, was not notified of the agents’ presence in advance.
District staff confronted the agents after spotting them in the school parking lot. The agents reportedly failed to produce any judicial warrants or provide a valid reason for being on school property. Staff informed them they were trespassing and instructed them to leave, which they did.
However, soon after their departure, staff reported witnessing multiple agents urinating in view of the campus. A subsequent review of security camera footage between 8:54 a.m. and 9:04 a.m. confirmed the behavior, showing agents urinating near storage containers in the school’s parking lot. The district has since released an edited version of the video to the public via YouTube.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, district officials called the behavior “deeply disturbing” and demanded an immediate investigation, including the names and badge numbers of all agents involved.
“These actions raise alarming and pressing questions regarding ICE’s behavior and judgment, as well as concerns about the rights and well-being of those involved, including the ERUSD community,” the letter stated.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn echoed the district’s call for action, condemning the agents’ behavior.
“It’s not enough that they’ve spent weeks violently ambushing people — now ICE and CBP agents are allegedly entering school campuses, pulling down their pants, and urinating on playgrounds. It’s a slap in the face to our communities — especially to our children,” Hahn said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the matter is under investigation.
The district emphasized that ICE agents did not enter any classrooms or indoor facilities, and no students or staff were physically harmed. However, officials stressed that any visitor—especially federal agents—should have recognized the environment as an active school campus with minors present.
“Any reasonable person, of any profession, entering Salazar where the ICE agents were urinating would clearly recognize the surroundings to be those of a school where minors are taught,” the district wrote.
The letter was signed by ERUSD Superintendent Marco Villegas and all five members of the school board. It was also sent to several elected officials, including Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with multiple ICE oversight offices.
The reason behind the ICE agents’ presence on school property remains unclear.
