Ariz. students who shouted down Border Patrol agents in unruly tirade get charges dropped

The Pima County, Ariz. Attorney’s office has dropped all charges against three University of Arizona students who disrupted a discussion by Customs and Border Protection agents.

As Campus Reform previously reported, the students were originally charged with “interference with the peaceful conduct of an educational institution,” according to an email sent to the UA campus community by President Robert Robbins. Customs and Border Protection agents were giving a talk as part of the university’s Career Day.

Videos shared by Lone Conservative show that the students called the Border Patrol agents the “murder patrol” and an “extension of the KKK,” then saying “Police, ICE, the same shit twice.” However, the Pima County Attorney confirmed to Campus Reform that the charges filed by the UA Police Department against three students as a result of that incident have since been dropped.

[RELATED: Ariz. students face charges after heckling Border Patrol agents]

Chief Deputy Pima County Attorney Amelia Cramer declined to give the specific reason that charges were dropped, but did say that the “decisions to file motions to dismiss without prejudice the charges filed by the University of Arizona Police Department in these three cases were decisions made by the County Attorney based upon a careful review of the facts and the law and the relevant circumstances in each case.”

While declining to disclose the “more specific factual and legal reasons” due to confidential attorney-work, the County Attorney did say that she was informed that the University of Arizona would conduct its own investigation and that the students will be subject to “administrative consequences” if found guilty. 

“County Attorney LaWall is able to disclose that she has been informed by officials at the University of Arizona that its Dean of Students will conduct an administrative investigation, which will afford each of these three students due process, including the right to be represented by an attorney and the right to be heard at a hearing before an administrative fact-finder,” Cramer said. “The Pima County Attorney also has been informed by the University of Arizona that the victims also will have an opportunity to participate in the University’s administrative process, including at any hearing. The University has a range of available administrative consequences through which it might hold the students accountable if, following the administrative investigation and hearing, they are found to have committed code of conduct offenses.”

[RELATED: WATCH: Student goes absolutely berserk on Border Patrol agents]

The university responded to this most recent development in a statement to Campus Reform. 

“The University is aware of the Pima County Attorney’s determination in the March 19th incident involving our students. We respect the decision and will continue to follow our processes and the law,” the spokesperson said. “The University is moving forward with the Dean of Students’ process review of the incident per our policies.”

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