Federal immigration agents briefly detained a 15-year-old student with disabilities outside Arleta High School in Los Angeles in what officials are calling a case of mistaken identity, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
The teen, described as having “significant disabilities,” was enrolling at Arleta High on Monday morning when U.S. Border Patrol agents handcuffed him, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said at a press conference, reported Fox 11.
An LAUSD spokesperson told Newsweek that “individuals who refused to identify themselves as immigration enforcement officers wrongfully detained a student outside Arleta High School.”
“The student was released when it was made clear that they were not in pursuit of this student,” the spokesperson added.
In response to the incident, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told Newsweek: “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.”
Following the episode, LAUSD and city leaders announced an expansion of school “safe zones” and other protective measures for students and families amid heightened immigration enforcement in the area.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Arleta High School, and the Los Angeles mayor’s office for comment.
Why It Matters
District officials said the incident highlights the impact of immigration enforcement on children and families, stressing LAUSD’s role as a protector of students’ right to attend school safely.
The detention happened as federal enforcement actions ramped up across California, which critics and local officials say have forced some immigrants into hiding and sparked community efforts to shield vulnerable residents.
What To Know
According to Carvalho, the student was waiting in a car with his grandmother when Border Patrol agents pulled him out and detained him.
“This young man was placed in handcuffs, presumably based on mistaken identity,” he said. “He was not an adult. He’s a 15-year-old boy with significant disabilities. This cannot happen.”
The boy was released after relatives intervened and the school principal contacted the Los Angeles School Police Department. Carvalho said the experience left lasting trauma for the student and claimed that federal agents left bullets on the ground, which school police later collected.
In response, LAUSD announced it will expand protective perimeters—or “safe zones”—around campuses starting Thursday, August 14. District police, staff, and community volunteers will monitor these areas. The district also plans to adjust bus routes, distribute “family preparedness packs,” and offer a new compassion fund for legal and family assistance.
What People Are Saying
A district spokesperson told Newsweek: “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. Our message is clear: every child belongs in school, and we will do everything in our power to keep campuses safe, supportive, and welcoming.”
LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez condemned the agents’ actions, saying: “Unidentified immigration agents handcuffed, detained, and drew their guns on a BD6 student outside Arleta High School in an alleged case of mistaken identity. Such actions—violently detaining a child just outside a public school—are absolutely reprehensible and should have no place in our country.”
President Trump has previously stated on Truth Social that ICE “must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X: “We need these federal agents off our streets. End the raids NOW.”
What Happens Next
The district said it will staff and monitor safe zones around more than 100 campuses, while coordinating with LAPD to share information—without involving local officers in immigration enforcement.
Community groups in Los Angeles are also preparing to push for additional protections and legal support for families impacted by raids, as debate continues nationwide over immigration enforcement tactics.
