Los Angeles Unified School District leaders are calling for limits on immigration enforcement near campuses after a 15-year-old boy with disabilities was pulled from a car, handcuffed, and briefly detained outside Arleta High School on Monday in what officials describe as a case of mistaken identity.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, just days before more than half a million LAUSD students return to classrooms. According to Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, the student — who attends San Fernando High School — had gone to Arleta High with his grandmother to accompany a relative registering for classes.
While the family member was inside, several officers approached their vehicle, telling them they were not with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, Carvalho said district-reviewed video appeared to show both police and Border Patrol personnel.
The boy was removed from the car and placed in handcuffs before being released after school staff and Los Angeles police intervened. “The release will not release him from what he experienced,” Carvalho said during a news conference. “The trauma will linger. It will not cease. It is unacceptable, not only in our community, but anywhere in America.”
Board of Education President Kelly Gonez condemned the actions on social media, calling them “absolutely reprehensible” and part of the “continued unconstitutional targeting of our Latino community.”
The district says the detention underscores the need for strong protections as students return to school. In a statement Monday, LAUSD reaffirmed that “schools are safe spaces” and said immigration enforcement near campuses “disrupts learning and creates anxiety that can last far beyond the school day.”
“As our students return to school, we are calling on every community partner to help ensure that classrooms remain places of learning and belonging,” Carvalho said. “Children have been through enough — from the pandemic to natural disasters. They should not have to carry the added weight of fear when walking through their school gates.”
In light of recent enforcement actions, LAUSD is expanding safety measures and resources, including:
- Enhanced coordination between the Los Angeles School Police Department and local law enforcement.
- A dedicated workgroup led by former LASPD Chief Steven K. Zipperman to oversee community support efforts.
- Expanded transportation options for families upon request.
- Crisis Response Teams to provide counseling and mental health services, including in-home visits.
- Virtual learning options for students in TK–Adult programs.
Through its We Are One campaign, the district is also offering families Know Your Rights information, legal referrals, mental health supports, and emergency preparedness tools. Resources are available in English and Spanish online, as well as through a 24/7 Family Hotline at (213) 443-1300.
Mayor Karen Bass joined district officials at Monday’s press conference, saying, “That’s why I’m joining Los Angeles Unified School District officials to reaffirm our commitment to student safety, with transportation, trained staff and long-standing policies that shield our communities from discriminatory enforcement. L.A. will always stand together.”
The incident comes amid heightened legal tensions between California and the Trump Administration over immigration enforcement. A federal bench trial began Monday in San Francisco to determine whether the administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act — a law barring the military from directly enforcing domestic laws — when it deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines in June after protests over ICE arrests. A decision could come by the end of the week.The district has also published a Step-by-Step Family Preparedness Plan to help parents prepare for potential enforcement activity.
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