What should have been a normal school day in Los Angeles turned into a terrifying ordeal for a 15-year-old disabled student.
Instead of preparing for the upcoming school year, the teenager found himself surrounded by armed immigration agents, handcuffed on the sidewalk — all because of a case of mistaken identity.
The incident has sparked outrage among parents, school officials, and community leaders, with many calling it a clear example of racial profiling and unnecessary force.
The Morning That Went Terribly Wrong
It was around 9:30 a.m. on Monday when the student, a San Fernando High School attendee with special needs, accompanied his grandmother to Arleta High School.
They were there to support a family member who was registering for classes.
While they waited in the car, multiple armed officers approached, reportedly assuring them they were not from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
But according to reviewed video footage, both police officers and Border Patrol agents were present.
The Arrest That Should Never Have Happened
Without warning, the student was ordered out of the vehicle, placed in handcuffs, and made to stand on the sidewalk.
His grandmother watched in shock as armed officers hovered nearby.
The situation only de-escalated after staff from the school and local police intervened.
The boy was eventually released, but as LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho put it, “The release will not release him from what he experienced… The trauma will linger.”
Parents Speak Out in Fear
The arrest rattled many parents in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), some of whom now worry their children could be targeted simply for looking a certain way.
One mother, Yvonne, explained her fears: “Where he’s on the darker side, I feel like that’s who they’re attacking.
I tell my son, you better be careful. Don’t go with anybody.”
She said children should not be afraid to attend school, and parents should not feel anxious about dropping them off.
School’s Response and Urgent Call for Safety
Shortly after the wrongful detention, Arleta High School’s principal sent a recorded voice message to parents, confirming reports of immigration activity near the campus but stressing that the school had not been contacted by federal agencies.
Carvalho later urged the community to help keep schools safe spaces: “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.”
Officials Condemn the Incident
At a press conference, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stood alongside district leaders, calling the situation “profound” and unacceptable.
“The fact that we even need a press conference to talk about protecting our kids from the federal government says it all,” she said.
School board member Kelly Gonez was even more direct, calling the detention “absolutely reprehensible” and denouncing the “continued unconstitutional targeting of our Latino community.”
District Prepares for a Tense School Year
In anticipation of further immigration enforcement under Trump’s administration, LAUSD has contacted 10,000 potentially affected families.
The district has rerouted bus stops, stationed 1,000 staff members in school zones, and expanded online learning options for students too afraid to leave home.
These measures come as federal quotas reportedly demand between 1,200 and 1,500 arrests daily.
Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” passed on July 4, has pumped $170 billion into immigration and border enforcement, significantly increasing ICE activity across the country.
A Climate of Fear in the Community
For many immigrant and Latino families in Los Angeles — and across the U.S. — Monday’s incident was not just an isolated mistake.
It was a reminder that even U.S. citizens and legal residents are not immune to being wrongly targeted during immigration raids.
As one parent put it, “We shouldn’t be going through this.”