ICE Under Fire: Teen Detainee’s Out-of-State Transfer Sparks Controversy, Calls for Reform
ICE Under Fire: Teen Detainee’s Out-of-State Transfer Sparks Controversy, Calls for Reform
A Los Angeles teen, Benjamin Guerrero-Cruz, was controversially transferred to an out-of-state ICE detention center without his family’s knowledge, sparking outrage and renewed calls for immigration reform. Guerrero-Cruz, an 18-year-old Reseda Charter High School student, was initially detained by immigration agents on August 8 while walking his dog in Van Nuys.
His family was shocked to learn this week that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had moved him from the Adelanto Detention Facility in San Bernardino County to a holding facility in Arizona, failing to notify any relatives. This transfer was confirmed by the office of U.S. Rep. Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood), who has been in contact with the family and reviewed ICE detention records. After a planned transfer to Louisiana was aborted, Guerrero-Cruz was returned to Adelanto, where he is currently held.
Rep. Rivas sharply criticized ICE’s ‘inconsistent and chaotic decision-making process,’ demanding answers for the lack of notification to the family regarding his whereabouts. In response, a Department of Homeland Security official stated that Guerrero-Cruz, a Chilean national, was being prepared for removal due to an expired visa from March 15, 2023, and was transferred back to Adelanto for immigration proceedings. The official also dismissed Rivas’s proposed bill—which would mandate ICE notify family members of a detainee’s transfer within 24 hours—as a ‘messaging bill.’
Immigration attorneys, however, corroborate the family’s difficulties, noting that ICE’s online locator is often not up-to-date and that detainees face significant hurdles in contacting family after transfers. The incident highlights a broader trend of increased domestic transfer flights by ICE, with a 90% increase from May through July compared to the previous year, contributing to what advocates describe as a ‘chaotic’ and ‘cruel’ detention system that hinders access to legal representation.
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