A Los Angeles high school senior was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week, with agents reportedly leaving his dog to run around in the street alone.
Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero Cruz, 18, was arrested on Friday, August 8, in Van Nuys, per a GoFundMe set up to help him.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) told Newsweek that due to privacy concerns, they could not discuss the case directly.
“Los Angeles Unified stands united in protecting every student and family during this period of heightened immigration enforcement,” the spokesperson said.
“Working closely with city leaders and municipal partners, we have strengthened safety measures at and around our schools. This includes enhanced communication with various entities, visible presence in impacted communities, and rapid-response protocols should enforcement activity occur.”
Newsweek reached out to ICE for comment via email Friday morning.
Why It Matters
LA has been a focus for immigration enforcement in recent months, with local leaders raising repeated concerns around ICE overreach. In recent days, the LAUSD has issued new guidelines to protect students as much as possible from federal law enforcement as they returned to class.
What To Know
ICE agents detained Guerrero-Cruz, a Chilean national who turned 18 last month, just before he was set to start his senior year at Reseda Charter High School.
They approached him on Sepulveda Boulevard in the early hours last Friday morning, as he walked the family dog. According to the GoFundMe set up on his behalf, agents tied the pet to a tree but then unclipped his collar, allowing him to run free in the street as his owner was taken away.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told KTLA that Guerrero-Cruz had overstayed his visa by more than two years. He was due to leave in March 2023, when the visa waiver program he entered on lapsed, the department said.
Guerrero-Cruz was being held in ICE detention in LA. Over $24,000 had been raised as of Friday morning to pay for his legal fees, as well as basic needs for his mother and siblings also living in fear of federal agents.
The young man’s friends have spoken out in support of him, with his soccer teammates describing a reliable, respectful, and kind person.
The arrest came just before federal agents also temporarily held a 15-year-old student with disabilities elsewhere in LA on Monday morning, while the LAUSD said it was deploying staff and school police to patrol streets around 100 schools to protect students from ICE and other agents.
What People Are Saying
Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Alberto Carvalho, speaking at a news conference Thursday: “He is 18 years old, but he’s a kid. He has not been exposed to anything in his life. He drinks water once a day. The food is insufficient. Mom said that there was not enough room for everybody to sit or lie down at the same time.”
Ronny C, a soccer teammate of Guerrero-Cruz, in a statement on the GoFundMe page: “We’re devastated to lose such a good kid and great teammate. On the field, he was rock-solid—always showed up, worked hard, and could be counted on week after week.
“Off the field, he was just as reliable: kind, respectful, and someone who lifted up the people around him. He brought consistency, heart, and a quiet strength that made the team better in every way. It’s heartbreaking to see him taken from us like this, and we’ll truly miss not just the player, but the person he was.”
What’s Next
The stand-off between LA officials, including Mayor Karen Bass, and the Trump administration is continuing, with the president saying ICE has full authority to arrest and detain those in sanctuary cities it suspects of being illegally present in the U.S.
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