ICE Agents Detain 15-Year-Old Boy With Disabilities Outside LA School

(LOS ANGELES) A morning detention outside Arleta High School on Monday has triggered swift policy moves and fresh outrage in Los Angeles, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents briefly held a 15-year-old boy with disabilities at gunpoint in what district leaders describe as a case of mistaken identity. The student, who attends nearby San Fernando High School, had come to Arleta High with his grandmother to support a relative registering for classes.

School police intervened quickly, secured his release at the scene, and escorted the family to safety. District officials say the boy’s name and immigration status will not be made public to protect his privacy.

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho called the incident “disturbing,” “heartbreaking,” and “unacceptable,” stressing the trauma inflicted on a minor outside a campus. Board Member Kelly Gonez condemned the detention as “absolutely reprehensible,” saying such actions have no place near schools.

The episode unfolded in LAUSD’s Board District 6, which covers the eastern San Fernando Valley, and was recorded by surveillance cameras that the district will not release to safeguard the student’s identity.

Witness accounts reported ICE agents pulled the boy from a vehicle, handcuffed him, and held him for a short time before releasing him. District officials also said ICE agents left bullets on the ground, which school police later collected.

The agents allegedly told people at the scene they were not there to carry out immigration actions, a statement that only deepened confusion about why they were surrounding a student outside a high school. As of Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE had not issued public statements in response to questions about the operation.

District Response and Safety Measures

In a rapid response, LAUSD announced plans to expand campus protections ahead of the new school year.

• Starting August 14, 2025, the district will roll out and enlarge “safe zones” around at least 100 schools, with Arleta High School among the focus areas, to reduce the risk of immigration enforcement actions near campuses.
• Superintendent Carvalho said the move aims to protect students and families who fear contact with federal agents on their way to and from school.

To help students who feel unsafe, LAUSD is also setting up:

• Safe passage programs with school police and community volunteers to increase adult presence along common routes to campus.
• Online class options for students who need temporary remote learning due to safety concerns tied to immigration enforcement.

District leaders are pressing for local and federal limits on immigration operations near schools. They argue that the threat of an arrest—real or perceived—keeps children home, hurts learning, and deepens distrust.

The district reported a sharp drop in attendance toward the end of the 2024–25 school year that coincided with increased enforcement activity in Los Angeles County. City leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass, have pledged to back stronger protections for immigrant families and students across the nation’s second-largest school district.

Policy Context and Legal Questions

The detention at Arleta High School arrives amid a broader debate over where federal officers should operate.

• In 2021, DHS issued guidance instructing officers to avoid enforcement actions in or near “protected areas,” which include schools, except in limited situations such as imminent threats to public safety.
• Those guidelines remain a reference point for local officials when they urge federal restraint around classrooms and playgrounds.

The DHS guidance is available on the department’s website: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2021/10/27/dhs-issues-new-guidelines-ensure-civil-immigration-enforcement-actions-do-not.

Parents and educators say the Arleta High School incident underscores how quickly a routine school errand can become a crisis for families with mixed immigration status. Even when agents say they are not conducting immigration arrests, a visible tactical presence near children—especially one that results in a student being handcuffed—can have lasting emotional effects.

LAUSD officials say they will offer mental health services to the student and family and make counseling available to any students who witnessed the detention.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, families often change daily routines—like drop-off times and routes—after visible enforcement near schools, which can depress attendance and participation in after-school programs. That pattern mirrors concerns raised by LAUSD as it moves to strengthen safe zones and safe passage, and it helps explain why district leaders want formal limits on operations near campuses.

Community Impact and Next Steps

The political reaction has been forceful but measured. While District 6 leaders condemned the detention, they also emphasized cooperation with law enforcement to avoid repeat incidents.

LAUSD said its school police will coordinate with volunteers to increase presence at key locations and will continue engaging families across the eastern San Fernando Valley. Community groups are planning know-your-rights sessions in multiple languages, offering simple guidance for students and caregivers about what to do if they encounter officers near a campus.

Key points LAUSD has underscored for families include:

• Schools are meant to be safe places for all students, regardless of immigration status, disability, or background.
• Surveillance footage exists but will not be made public to protect the student’s identity.
• The district will provide counseling and connect families with trusted legal and social services.

Local advocates point to past periods of heightened enforcement in Los Angeles County during the 2024–25 year. They say those months left immigrant communities fearful, raised the stakes for daily routines like school pick-ups, and chipped away at trust in public institutions.

Advocates argue the Arleta High School incident shows why federal agencies need:

• Clearer field protocols around campuses.
• Better communication with local authorities before operations.

For their part, DHS and ICE have not publicly detailed why agents approached the family vehicle outside the campus, how they identified the student, or what triggered the stop. Officials have not released information on the operation’s objectives or whether any internal review is underway.

Without that context, LAUSD leaders say they must focus on prevention: keeping officers away from school grounds and ensuring quick intervention by school police if federal agents appear near students.

Disability Concerns and Trauma

The case has also raised disability rights questions. Advocates note that detaining a minor with significant disabilities at gunpoint—no matter how brief—can cause deep trauma.

They are urging:

• Trauma-informed training across agencies.
• Clearer procedures when officers encounter youth with visible or known disabilities.

While the boy was released on the spot, families and disability advocates say the emotional harm can last far beyond a single morning.

Broader Implications

This moment may become a turning point for how Los Angeles handles school-area enforcement.

• If the district’s expanded safe zones and safe passage programs reduce fear and keep students in class, other California districts could adopt similar steps.
• Nationally, school officials in the United States 🇺🇸 will watch for any DHS or ICE updates in the wake of the Arleta High School detention, especially if federal agencies clarify how agents should engage near campuses when they are not pursuing immigration arrests.

Until then, LAUSD is moving ahead on its own timeline: more safe zones, more adult presence on routes to school, and more support for families who just want their children to learn without fear.