Charges dropped for University of Arizona students who protested Border Patrol

Rachel Leingang, Arizona Republic Published 9:15 p.m. MT April 21, 2019 | Updated 10:39 p.m. MT April 21, 2019

Charges have been dropped against three University of Arizona students who participated in a Border Patrol protest in March that went viral and became a lightning rod in the national discussion about campus free speech.

The Pima County Justice Court website shows court hearings set for this week for all three students were vacated after motions to dismiss criminal charges were granted Friday.

The website also lists the charges against all three students as "not referred for prosecution."

Two of the students were expected to appear in court in Pima County on Monday morning.

Denisse Moreno Melchor, a 20-year-old UA student, and Mariel Alexandra Bustamante, a 22-year-old student, were charged on April 1 with class 1 misdemeanors for interference with the peaceful conduct of an educational institution. Moreno Melchor also faced a second charge for threats and intimidation.

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