Colleges Wary of Violence Near U.S. Border

Feb. 5, 2010— -- As drug violence continues to escalate across the Rio Grande, particularly in Juarez, Mexico, many colleges and universities along the U.S.-Mexico border are working to assure students that their campuses are safe.

Despite the murders in neighboring Juarez, the city of El Paso, Texas, has remained relatively calm.

"Though we're located very close to our neighbors to the south, I'm not aware of any spillover that has taken place that would directly affect our students," said Clifton Walsh, chief of police for the University of Texas at El Paso. "We do work with agencies to monitor the activities taking place in Mexico."

Last Sunday, 16 people, many of them teenagers, were gunned down at a house party early Sunday morning in Juarez. They are now among the more than 15,000 who have been killed in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon assumed office in 2006, according to the Associated Press.

Some of the deceased were students at El Centro de Bachillerato Tecnologico Industrial y de Servicios, or CBTIS No. 128, which is a preparatory school in Juarez.

The school's Web site lists the names of those who died and reads: "Por el eterno descanso de nuestros Jaguares -- oremos por ellos. Queremos paz en nuestra ciudad," which translates as, "For the eternal rest of our fellow Jaguars -- pray for them. We want peace in our city."

In El Paso, Walsh said the university issues travel bulletins to students who want to travel across the border, as recommended by the State Department.

The violence nearby, however, has yet to deter students from enrolling at UTEP, said Steven Lazarin, UTEP public affairs specialist. In fact, enrollment has increased steadily over the past few years to about 21,000.

"I think students have grown accustomed to the violence," said Ruben Rodriguez, a sophomore at UTEP and a long-time resident of the border city. "I think we all feel moderately safe, at least on this side. I mean, UTEP can't provide 2,500 bulletproof vests."

U.S. Universities Taking 'Proactive Measures'

New Mexico State University, which is about an hour away from Juarez, has yet to feel threatened, said Travis Dulany, the school's student body president. He said there have been no indications that the violence would infiltrate their institution, yet acknowledged that NMSU is vulnerable because of its location.

"With us being so close to the border and the interconnectedness of the border community, there's always a chance that there could be [an incident]," Dulany said. "But officials at the university are taking proactive measures [against] something like that or any problem related to border issues from happening."

Some of the proactive measures, Dulany said, include a mass text messaging and e-mail system, each of which notify students of any campus emergencies.

President Obama has proposed to use $1.6 billion in his 2011 budget specifically for Immigration and Customs Enforcement programs to help strengthen border security, which include "supporting 20,000 Border Patrol agents," many of whom are on the frontlines of the drug war.

Late last year, in an address at a public policy conference at NMSU on Sept. 16, 2009, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said progress has been made along the border, especially because the number of federal agents there has increased dramatically.

"We have the opportunity to work with the government of Mexico to make significant advancements in the safety and security of the border area," Napolitano said.

Some states are taking matters into their own hands. Also in September of last year, Texas Gov. Rick Perry held a joint news conference with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in Austin, Texas, to talk about the dangers drug cartels pose in the Lone Star State.

Back in 2002, Giuliani and his private consulting firm were hired to help advise police in Mexico City on how to reduce crime rates, most of which were linked to drug violence.

Gunfire Near the U.S. Border

At the conference, Perry announced that Texas legislators set aside more than $110 million in resources for enhanced border security and anti-gang efforts.

"We've seen [cartels] growing and we're seeing their reach expand into our communities," Perry said.

On Sept. 4, 2009, students at the University of Texas-Brownsville/Texas Southmost College found out just how far that reach was when reports of transnational gunfire surfaced around 1:30 p.m., forcing the university to close its doors shortly thereafter.

Authorities found two stray bullets on the campus that university officials believed were remnants from a shootout in nearby Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

The university, which is located less than half a mile from the international bridge leading into Matamoros, notified students of the incident through text messages and e-mails, and also posted updates to its Web site throughout the afternoon once the bullets were found. Students were asked to avoid the south side of campus and were eventually told to leave. The campus remained closed throughout the Labor Day holiday.

"We have no control over what may happen across the border," Rosemary Martínez, vice president for business affairs at UTB/TSC said. "However, we have constant communication with law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border to deal with whatever incident might take place."

Brenda Calvillo, a junior at UTB/TSC, said she was planning on going to the school's recreation center later that day when she heard of the shooting. The center, along with a parked car, was among those hit, yet no one on campus was injured.

"I mean, we're right by the border and I have night classes," said Calvillo, 21, who drives to campus. "I have to walk a long distance just to get to and from class. Anything can happen, especially at night. They can cross the border and start shooting at everyone."

'It's a Normal Campus'

But Dr. Minita Ramirez, dean of student success at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas, said the community continues to be a safe environment for students despite rumors that the violence has made its way onto U.S. soil.

"I don't know what they think -- that it's like the Wild West out here? But it's not," Ramirez said. "It's a normal campus, and we have continued to make this as normal a college campus as any other."

In 2005, Nuevo Laredo, located just south of Laredo, was home to most of Mexico's cartel violence. Yet those days are gone, Ramirez said, despite the negative image Laredo has received in the media.

"I've had parents call and ask me if it's really safe, or, 'How bad is it? How far are you from the border? Will my son or daughter be safe there?'" Ramirez said. "Normally, the easiest way to recruit students is to have them here. Once they're here and we show them what we have to offer, there are no issues."

Ramirez said that enrollment at TAMIU has increased steadily since 2004, with the university seeing a 9 percent increase from last year. One student did, however, decide not to return to the university because of the prospective violence, Ramirez said.

If something were to happen on campus, students would be alerted by the school's "dusty alert" system, which sends out mass text-messages and e-mails to subscribers. But the school has remained calm and has remained open, Ramirez added, and will continue to do so.

"I know we have been lucky," Ramirez said. "I think most of our students feel very safe here."