More than four months after being abducted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in August, Benjamin Guerrero-Cruz, a senior at Reseda Charter High School, is back home and has been reunited with his family, announced Congresswoman Luz Rivas.
“My heart goes out to his family, especially his mother, who can hold her son again after months of fear and uncertainty at the hands of ICE,” said Rivas during her Dec. 11 statement from the House floor. “I’m glad that Benjamin is home and I hope he and his family can begin the healing process.
“No family should ever have to live through this,” added Rivas. “I will continue showing up to detention facilities to hold ICE and this administration accountable for the terror that they’re forcing families to live through each day.”
ICE detained Guerrero-Cruz, who turned 18 in July, while he was out walking his dog on Aug. 8. Over the 24 hours that followed, the valley teen was shuttled between detention centers – including the LA Detention Center and the Adelanto Detention Center in San Bernardino County – and across state lines to Arizona without his family being notified, according to Rivas.
Under existing laws and regulations, ICE is not required to notify family members if a detainee is transferred to a different facility, except in the case of a detainee’s death. In response to the current rules, Rivas has introduced the Immigration Notification for Facility Oversight and Relocation Management (INFORM) Act, which would require ICE to inform immediate family members within 24 hours if a detainee is transferred.
Please correct your article to reflect that this young man was an ADULT. Add to your article the reason given by I.C.E. about why he was picked up. Do your due diligence, journalist.
Days prior he became an adult. He was a high school student. Also when you’re a kid, there’s no clock started on how long you’ve overstayed because, well, kids can’t make that decision. He was kidnapped without the days required being counted before he would have faced issues. It was likely fully illegal for ICE to get him, and extra cruel that they tied up his dog, then snipped its collar so it would run loose in a busy area.
Why was he picked up?? I cannot find any info online
Yes, 18 is the age at which the state considers people adults, but in every practical sense (and literally) he is a TEENAGER. I personally struggle with the whole idea of setting a random age at which a person is an adult. The human brain isn’t even fully developed until age 25. That should be when we consider people adults.