CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SAN DIEGO

Three teenagers swept up in an immigration raid while on their way to school a month ago have been returned to San Diego from Mexico as a “humanitarian” gesture, the U.S. Border Patrol and the American Friends Service Committee said Wednesday.

The students were among 21 people detained by U.S. agents as illegal immigrants May 20 at the trolley stations in the Old Town area of San Diego.

All three chose to voluntarily return to Mexico, the Border Patrol said.

Now they have received temporary visas for “urgent humanitarian reasons” so they can be reunited with their families in San Diego.

In exchange, they agreed to appear before an immigration judge to determine if they can remain in this country.

-- Tony Perry