Parents speak out after L.A. teenager wrongfully detained by federal agents outside of high school
Parents of Los Angeles Unified School District students are speaking out after a teenager was mistakenly detained by federal immigration agents outside of Arleta High School on Monday, voicing their concerns as the new school year approaches.
The 15-year-old boy, who district officials say has significant disabilities, was allegedly pulled from a car by Department of Homeland Security agents and handcuffed in front of his mother on Monday, while his sibling completed registration.
CBS News Los Angeles spoke with the boy's mother on Tuesday. She was still too emotional to appear on camera, but she said that unmarked SUVs swarmed her car before they pulled her son out and put him in handcuffs.
The boy, who hasn't been identified by district officials in order to preserve his privacy, is actually a student at San Fernando High School, and was only outside of AHS while his sister registered at her school. His citizenship and immigration status remain unclear.
She says that they showed her a picture of a person who looked like her son, and after she and the teen told them it wasn't the same person, they finally let him go. Instead of apologizing for the mishap, the boy's mother alleged that agents told her to look at the bright side and that he would have an exciting story to tell when he went back to school.
In response to a request for comment on the incident, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials shared a statement that read: "Allegations that Border Patrol targeted Arleta High School are FALSE. Agents were conducting a targeted operation on criminal illegal alien Cristian Alexander Vasquez-Alvarenga—a Salvadoran national and suspected MS-13 pledge with prior criminal convictions in the broader vicinity of Arleta."
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho confirmed the detainment on Monday, calling it reprehensible and unacceptable.
"This is the exact type of incident that traumatizes our communities," he said during a news conference hours after the incident occurred. "It cannot repeat itself."
He was one of many LAUSD leaders who joined Los Angeles police in a Monday news conference to announce a series of steps taken to ensure that students and their families feel safe as they return to school.
"We want no one to stay home as a result of fears," Carvalho said.
The school district shared a statement on Tuesday further noting the measures put in place to strengthen campus safety measures.
"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," the statement said. "We will never ask about or share a student's immigration status unless required by law, and we are committed to maintaining safe zones around our schools."
Some parents are still on edge, especially after Monday's events. Maggie Galindo, the mother of an LAUSD student and a daughter with special needs, said that the incident "makes my blood boil."
"I hope it ends soon, because it's really affecting families, our community," Galindo said. "It's not right. I think it's inhumane."