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UA Police Report Details Border Patrol Protest

Modern Lang building
AZPM
The Modern Languages building on the University of Arizona campus.
UA Police Report Details Border Patrol Protest

A University of Arizona Police Department report sheds new light on the arrest of three students in March and the events that surrounded it.

The report obtained by Arizona Public Media says that three UA students "chanted and yelled obscenities and derogatory remarks" at a pair of uniformed Border Patrol agents for over 40 minutes. The agents were speaking to about a dozen members of the Criminal Justice Club about career opportunities in the agency.

The report goes on to say that one of the protesters, Denisse Moreno Melchor, threatened to become aggressive, saying at one point, "you keep talking to me and I will become hostile." Several people took this as a threat of violence, the report says.

It also reports that a staff member from the university's Immigrant Student Resource Center observed the protest, and according to one officer, appeared to sanction it.

The report also says at least one class nearby in the Modern Languages building had to be moved outside because of the noise the students were making, and that the Criminal Justice Club changed its meeting place to avoid future confrontations.

The three students are scheduled to appear in court to face charges next week.

UAPD protest report

Steve Jess is AZPM's afternoon radio announcer, producer, and anchor. In the field, Steve has specialized in covering government, military, and technology stories. He also enjoys covering live breaking news, including on election nights; he likes to say he has not been home on any election night since Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter in 1980.