Overview

• ICE arrested Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero Cruz, an 18-year-old Reseda Charter High senior, in Van Nuys on Aug. 8 as he walked his dog.
• DHS confirmed he overstayed his visa by roughly two years and is held pending removal proceedings.
• LAUSD has launched legal assistance for Cruz’s family and quotes his mother describing overcrowded and under-resourced detention conditions.
• A GoFundMe campaign has raised approximately $45,000 to $47,000 for the family’s legal fees and basic support.
• After a separate incident in which immigration agents mistakenly detained a 15-year-old student with disabilities near Arleta High School, the district intensified patrols and protective perimeters around local campuses.