Reseda Student Finally Returns Home After ICE Detention
Reseda High School Senior Reunited with Family After ICE Detention
A senior from Reseda, Benjamin Guerrero-Cruz, has been reunited with his family following his detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in August. Guerrero-Cruz’s family reported that the teen was taken into custody while walking his dog, just days before the Los Angeles Unified School District resumed classes.
The Department of Homeland Security indicated that Guerrero-Cruz overstayed his visa by more than two years. In an official statement, the agency noted, “Benjamin Guerrero-Cruz, an illegal alien from Chile, overstayed his visa by more than two years, abusing the Visa Waiver Program under which he entered the United States, which required him to depart the United States on March 15, 2023.” Following his detention, Guerrero-Cruz was initially taken to the Adelanto detention center before being transferred to Arizona.
On Thursday, California Congresswoman Luz Rivas announced on the House floor that Guerrero-Cruz has returned home. She expressed deep compassion for the family, particularly for his mother, stating, “My heart goes out to his family, especially his mother, who can hold her son again after months of fear and uncertainty at the hands of ICE. No family should ever have to live through this.”
In light of this case, Congresswoman Rivas also introduced the Inform Act, a proposal aimed at requiring ICE agents to notify family members within 24 hours of a detainee’s transfer, a measure not currently mandated by existing law.
