Federal immigration agents violently detained a 20-year-old U.S. citizen and Santa Maria, Calif., High School student with special needs on Wednesday morning, according to school and city officials.
The student, who has limited verbal communication and is on an individualized education program, was walking to school when agents tackled him, questioned him about his citizenship and restrained him in their vehicle. He was eventually released in the area where he was picked up and walked to school, where officials called for an ambulance to take him to the hospital, said Santa Maria City Council member Gloria Soto.
The student underwent surgery for injuries to his wrist, she said, and was left with bruises and lacerations.
Soto said a school resource officer obtained security footage from a nearby grocery store and confirmed that the people who had detained the student are agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In an emailed statement, an unidentified ICE spokesperson wrote that agents were conducting a targeted enforcement operation in Santa Maria “when they encountered an individual they believed matched the description of the criminal illegal alien target.”
“When the individual resisted officers, refused lawful commands, and assumed a fighting stance with clenched fists, they relied on their training to safely control the situation until they could confirm his identity, whereupon he was released,” the spokesperson wrote.
The spokesperson added that claims that the student suffered broken bones are false because “he never requested medical assistance.”
The student told KEYT News that he answered agents verbally while restrained in their vehicle and had legal identification in his wallet, but the agents didn’t ask to see it. He shared photos with the news outlet showing his right arm wrapped in a bandage and bruising under his eye.
Soto said it appears the student was racially profiled. She called for an independent investigation into how a case of mistaken identity by ICE agents ended with the student being hurt.
“Our community is living in terror right now and this needs to stop,” she said, referencing a recent uptick in immigration arrests across central California. “I’m a mother, and the thought of my child not being safe walking to school is frightening.”
The Santa Maria Police Department declined to comment and referred questions to ICE.
Alma Hernandez, board president of Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, said she was horrified by ICE’s actions.
“Our district remains committed to protecting our students and families,” she said.
Kenny Klein, the school district’s spokesperson, said the student was detained by ICE about a half-mile from campus.
“The student then proceeded to walk to school. School administration called an ambulance, and the student was taken to the hospital to receive medical care,” Klein wrote in a statement, adding that parents, guardians, students and staff were notified of the incident.
Santa Maria police responded to the situation and notified appropriate agencies, including the local district attorney and the California attorney general, he added.
805 UndocuFund, an advocacy group, wrote in an Instagram post that volunteers witnessed several more community members stopped and questioned by ICE on Wednesday. The group organized a rally and protest this Saturday in support of the student.
