On Feb. 27, multiple Border Patrol agents in uniform walked the halls of William J. Brennan High School for a campus career event, chatting with students and staff in classrooms and common areas as part of College, Career and Military Readiness programming. What might have seemed like a routine career-day stop instead rattled many students and reignited tensions among teens who have been protesting federal immigration enforcement this winter.
Students Object To Agents In Classrooms
Students and a local youth activist group pushed back almost immediately. Claire Lewis, director of the student-led San Antonio Students for Peace, told San Antonio Current, "Border Patrol agents do not belong in classrooms," and the group posted a video condemning the visit. Lewis said officers in uniform can retraumatize students who have family histories with immigration enforcement.
District Says It Was Career Day, Not Recruiting
Northside ISD officials said the agents were invited as part of College, Career and Military Readiness programming and were not there to recruit students. Assistant Superintendent for Communications Barry Perez told San Antonio Current the visit "was a career fair event, not a recruiting event," and Principal John Trimble acknowledged that "in our current climate, this visit caused genuine unease." Brennan is part of Northside ISD, which lists guest speakers and career-day partners on its campus pages.
Recruitment Push Provides The Backdrop
The appearance comes as federal agencies have stepped up hiring and incentives for new officers and agents. The agency’s recruitment pages outline incentives for new Border Patrol hires, according to CBP. Reporting in Government Executive has noted retention and sign-on packages that together can reach tens of thousands of dollars. Critics say bringing uniformed enforcement officers into schools risks normalizing immigration enforcement for teens and can feel like predatory outreach to students facing economic hardship.
Local Protests Set The Scene
The Brennan visit also unfolded against a backdrop of student activism across San Antonio this winter. Local coverage has documented walkouts, marches and disciplinary clashes at other campuses as students protested ICE and deportation policy, which organizers say helps explain why a Border Patrol presence on campus immediately alarmed students, according to reporting by KSAT. Organizers are calling for clearer district rules about which outside agencies may appear on school grounds.
What Students Want Now
Students and organizers say they plan to press the district for answers about who approved the visit and whether parents were notified. Northside ISD maintains the event was intended to broaden students' career options, and school leaders now face pressure to spell out how outside partners are vetted before they set foot on campus.
