Overview
- About 50 educators and community members gathered Monday to urge the release of 18-year-old Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero-Cruz so he can finish his senior year.
- He was arrested Aug. 8 in Van Nuys and has been held at ICE’s Adelanto Detention Center since then.
- The Department of Homeland Security says he overstayed a tourist visa and will remain detained pending removal, noting he was required to depart the U.S. by March 15, 2023.
- A teacher who has visited him describes him as struggling in custody, while DHS disputes her allegations about arrest tactics and detention conditions.
- LAUSD leaders and neighbors are offering support, and a GoFundMe is raising money for legal representation and potential assistance if he is deported.