A 15-year-old disabled student was subjected to a traumatic encounter with armed federal immigration officers outside Arleta High School in Los Angeles, in a case of mistaken identity, as claimed by officials.
The incident, which happened around 9:30 a.m. on Monday as the teenager attended a high school orientation with his grandmother, has sparked widespread outrage as parents and school authorities have expressed their concern over the treatment of innocent children by ICE.
According to LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, “This young man was placed in handcuffs, presumably due to mistaken identity… He is not an adult; he is a 15-year-old boy with significant disabilities. Such an event is unacceptable.”
Carvalho further emphasized at a press conference, “While he has been released, the experience will have lasting effects. The trauma will not fade; it is unacceptable”.
The student, who attends San Fernando High School, had accompanied his grandmother to Arleta High to help a relative register for classes, and was waiting in their car when approached by agents who handcuffed and detained him at gunpoint. The ordeal ended only after school staff and Los Angeles police intervened to secure his release.
Despite claims from federal officers that they were not with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), video reviewed by district officials reportedly showed both police and Border Patrol personnel at the scene. In a testament to the distress and confusion of the moment, bullets were reportedly left on the sidewalk by agents and later collected by school police.
LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez condemned the incident in no uncertain terms: “Such actions—violently detaining a child just outside a public school—are absolutely reprehensible and should have no place in our country.” She added, “I denounce these violent aggressions and the continued unconstitutional targeting of our Latino community”.
The event has led to many families questioning the safety of their children as they believe that regardless of their actual immigration status, the kids might be subject to harassment based on the color of their skin.
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Talking about her child, LAUSD parent Yvonne voiced her alarm, sharing to KTLA, “He fits that category. Where he’s on the darker side, and I feel like that’s who they’re attacking… that’s the main reason I tell him you better be careful and you don’t go with anybody.”
Yvonne added, “Children shouldn’t be scared of going to school, and parents shouldn’t be worried about dropping them off. We shouldn’t be going through this”.
Mayor Karen Bass spoke at a press conference alongside district officials, stating, “We are gathered here today to talk about protecting our children from the federal government. This is a profound moment… the fact that we even need a press conference to talk about strategies for how we protect our kids.”
She further reflected on the situation: “It’s a sense of intimidation and fear that is just so unnecessary and so corrosive to our city”.
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Superintendent Carvalho also highlighted the broader impact: “The release will not release him from what he experienced. The trauma will linger. It will not cease. It is unacceptable, not only in our community, but anywhere in America.”
He emphasized the urgent need for protective measures: “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”.
ICE arrest high school student at drop off for orientation—with guns drawn & live ammunition.
15 year old boy with special needs was finally released—after agents admit they had wrong guy.
Agents left live bullets on ground—told school “Keep them, use them for target practice.”… pic.twitter.com/Ls4OpX3BS9
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) August 12, 2025
As a direct response, LAUSD is expanding so-called “safe zones” and deploying 1,000 central office staff to assist in school zones. The district has rerouted bus stops and increased online options for families unwilling to send children to school due to safety concerns. Outreach efforts have included contacting 10,000 families who may be impacted by immigration actions.
These steps come amid a tense climate of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which is operated by newly enacted policies that expand ICE authority, set daily arrest quotas, and increase funding for enforcement. Such policies have naturally invoked fear in many legally residing immigrants, with even U.S. citizens mistakenly targeted in raids.
