Teen With Disabilities Cuffed By Immigration Agents Outside School On First Day Of Class

LOS ANGELES, CA — Officials are sounding the alarm after a teenager was reportedly detained by immigration agents outside a Los Angeles County school Monday morning.

The 15-year-old, who has significant disabilities, according to Los Angeles Unified School District officials, was accompanying a family member registering at Arleta High School Monday morning when he was suddenly pulled from his family's vehicle by federal agents and placed in handcuffs.

The federal agents, who refused to identify themselves, eventually released the teen when they realized "they were not in pursuit of this student," an LAUSD spokesperson said in an email to Patch.

"It is heartbreaking, it is reprehensible, it is unacceptable," Superintendent Alberto Carvahlo said during a press conference on Monday. "This cannot happen."

Although the teen wasn't arrested, the situation highlighted what some advocacy groups say is a systemic targeting of minorities through racial profiling amid ongoing raids by immigration agents. Education advocates worry that it could exacerbate absenteeism in Los Angeles County if students and their families feel intimidated by aggressive immigration tactics outside schools.

In a federal lawsuit filed last month against the Trump administration, Los Angeles immigrant advocacy groups accused agents of violating people's constitutional rights while violently and indiscriminately arresting people without probable cause.

A federal appeals court ruled earlier this month to uphold a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from having federal agents conduct indiscriminate raids in Southern California, saying the agents' tactics were violating people's constitutional rights. But raids involving the same tactics have recently resumed across the Southland.

The incident Monday happened during the first day of classes in Los Angeles County, and just before district officials held a press conference to assure families that schools would remain a safe and supportive space for children and families, regardless of their immigration status.

"Such actions - violently detaining a child outside a public school - are absolutely reprehensible and should have no place in our country," LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez said in a statement on X. "I denounce these violent aggressions, the continued unconstitutional targeting of our Latino community, and call on the federal government to immediately stop harassing, abducting, and tearing apart our communities."

LAUSD officials say they are currently working closely with city leaders and other municipal partners to strengthen safety measures at and around its schools. This includes implementing enhanced communication efforts, increasing visibility efforts in impacted communities and improving rapid-response protocols.

A resource campaign, We Are One, was also created to help families affected by immigration raids access resources such as mental health services and legal referrals. LAUSD is also offering a virtual academy service, where students who don't feel comfortable attending school amidst immigration raids can still attend classes.

"Our message is clear: every child belongs in school, and we will do everything in our power to keep our campuses safe, supportive, and welcoming for all," an LAUSD spokesperson told Patch. "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."

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AP News contributed to this report