Tag Archives: customs enforcement

Adams administration throws support behind 16-year-old Bronx student detained by ICE

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Mayor Eric Adams is standing behind a 16-year-old Bronx high schooler, Joel Camas, who was recently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The city has formally filed legal papers supporting Camas’s lawsuit aimed at halting his deportation.

Camas was arrested during a routine immigration check on October 23 and now faces deportation to Ecuador. He originally fled Ecuador in 2022 to escape threats from violent gangs, according to documents submitted in Manhattan federal court.

The Adams administration argues that Camas, as a teenage public school student, should have the right to “access city schools and services while their immigration issues are being resolved.” This stance was detailed in a brief filed Monday in support of the teen.

In a statement, Mayor Adams described Camas as “a hard-working student, dedicated to his school work and future, who followed the proper immigration process.” He added, “We are proud to support his petition for justice, just like we have done with the many other New York City Public School students who have been detained during routine immigration proceedings.”

Since his arrest, Camas has been held at an Office of Refugee Resettlement youth shelter in The Bronx, according to news outlet THE CITY.

The city further argues that Camas poses no flight or safety risk, making detention unnecessary. Muriel Goode-Trufant, the city’s top attorney, stated, “The Trump administration has not met the very high bar for detaining this minor student who is better served remaining in the community with his family.”

However, federal authorities remain determined to deport Camas. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Jay Clayton, also requested the judge to keep Camas detained pending his trial, emphasizing the government’s intention to reunite him with his mother in Ecuador.

Camas arrived from Ecuador in December 2022 with his mother, who self-deported earlier this year. She entrusted Joel to relatives in hopes he could build a better life. According to Camas’s lawsuit, both have had orders of removal against them since losing their asylum case in 2024—an appearance they made without legal representation.

Currently a junior at Gotham Collaborative High School in The Bronx, Camas maintains a perfect attendance record, as noted in the city’s supportive amicus brief. His teachers have described him as a “committed” student who is so motivated to learn English that “he refuses materials in his native language,” the filing states.

The city’s backing of Joel Camas highlights ongoing concerns about the treatment of immigrant students and the importance of access to education and services during immigration proceedings. Mayor Adams’s administration continues to champion these causes as part of its broader commitment to supporting New York City’s immigrant communities.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/11/us-news/city-throws-support-behind-bronx-student-detained-by-ice/

Questions remain why ICE targeted day care teacher who was detained in North Center facility

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Following widespread backlash over the arrest of a Chicago day care teacher this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement on Thursday alleging that the teacher had illegally crossed the southern border in 2023 and, last month, paid a smuggler to bring her teenage children into the U.S. as well.

In the statement, DHS said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents targeted Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano, of Colombia, during a traffic stop early Wednesday while she and an unidentified male passenger were driving. According to DHS, Santillana illegally entered the U.S. on June 26, 2023, where she was initially encountered by Border Patrol. The statement added that the Biden administration released her into the country.

Questions remain, however, about whether Santillana had been targeted prior to the traffic stop. School officials confirmed that Santillana had authorization to work at the day care and had undergone a background check. DHS did not respond to further questions beyond its statement, which also mentioned that Santillana and the male driver were in a vehicle registered to a “female illegal alien.”

The arrest, which was widely circulated on social media, showed agents pulling a screaming Santillana from the vestibule of Rayito de Sol, an early learning center and Spanish immersion school in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood. In the video, Santillana is heard saying “I have papers” in Spanish as agents pinned her against their vehicle.

News outlets around the world covered the confrontation, marking an unprecedented step by agents under President Donald Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz — an immigration crackdown in Chicago that included entering a school to detain an individual.

DHS emphasized in its statement that “work authorization does NOT confer any type of legal status to be in the U.S.” The department criticized the Biden administration, claiming it “exploited this loophole to help facilitate the invasion of our country.”

Santillana’s attorney, Naiara Testai, filed a habeas corpus petition on Wednesday. She said Santillana is expected to have a court hearing next week but declined to provide further details.

The Colombian Consulate confirmed that it is aware of the situation and is working to provide assistance.

### Context and Community Response

The years around 2023, when DHS said Santillana crossed the border, saw record numbers of people traveling from South America to the United States. In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent migrants by bus and train to Chicago and other interior U.S. cities perceived as immigration-friendly, a political move aimed at highlighting strained resources at border cities.

At a Thursday news conference, Maria Guzman, a parent of a child at Rayito de Sol, described the arrest as “something that is out of a terror movie.” She said, “I could not sleep last night thinking about the safety of my children. This is deeply, deeply personal.”

While parents did not have specifics about Santillana’s immigration status, they expressed strong support for her, affectionately calling her “Miss Diana.”

“Our experience with her has been absolutely amazing,” said Sara Nepomuceno, 29, whose 5-month-old daughter has been attending Santillana’s class for about two months. “I’m a first-time mom,” she added, “and going back to work can be a really hard experience, but Diana made it so easy.”

### Details of the Arrest

The arrest occurred at approximately 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, shortly after the school opened, according to officials, witnesses, and school staff. Agents reportedly followed Santillana and the male passenger into the school parking lot at 2550 W. Addison St., near Lane Tech College Prep High School.

School staff told the Chicago Tribune that agents entered the school without presenting a warrant before pulling Santillana outside. Elected officials, including U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (D), confirmed seeing agents inside the school.

“They went inside the day care center, questioned and took someone to her locker room to prove she had papers. We saw them run in and out,” Ramirez said Wednesday following the arrest.

DHS accused Santillana of “barricading” herself inside the daycare with the male passenger, allegedly “recklessly endangering the children inside.” The department also claimed she paid smugglers last month to bring her two children, ages 16 and 17, across the border through El Paso, Texas, to a Chicago-area shelter as unaccompanied minors.

According to DHS, “Facilitating human smuggling is a crime.”

### Questions About Family Reunification

While parents knew Santillana had children, it remains unclear whether she has been reunited with them, and if so, how.

Julie Contreras, a pastor and immigrant advocate at United Giving Hope, who has over 30 years of experience reuniting unaccompanied children with their families and helping them seek asylum, said unaccompanied minors are typically first apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or Border Patrol.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement, also under DHS, then vets reunification with parents or guardians.

Contreras said it is unusual to accuse a biological mother of trafficking or smuggling her own children. “Trafficking involves forced exploitation, and smuggling requires physically transporting someone illegally, which the mother could not have done if already in the U.S.,” she explained.

“I don’t know her personally or the children, but how horrific this would be because she is only guilty of being a mother who loved her children and wanted to be reunited with them,” Contreras added.

### A Teacher Beloved by the Community

Parents at Rayito de Sol described Santillana as caring for about six infants, someone who “always willing to go above and beyond” for the school community.

“She would dress up in silly hats and unicorn costumes to entertain the children,” said Laura Tober, whose 14-month-old child has been in Santillana’s class since July.

A “Meet the Teacher” brochure shared by a parent revealed that Santillana has two children and has been working with children in schools and kindergartens for 10 years. She holds a degree in early childhood education from San Buenaventura University in Medellin, Colombia, where she is originally from.

“She is someone who likes to nurture and leave a mark on young ones,” the brochure stated.

—

The arrest of Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano has ignited a complex debate about immigration enforcement, community trust, and the rights of families amid ongoing border challenges. The coming court proceedings and community response will likely continue to shape the conversation around such cases in Chicago and beyond.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/06/ice-day-care-teacher-arrest-questions/

Ontario congresswoman demanding answers after resident shot by ICE agents during operation

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ONTARIO, Calif. (KABC) — The day after a U.S. citizen was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Ontario, community members are demanding answers about what really happened. The incident occurred when the man allegedly tried to ram officers with his car.

“How these agents are acting is blatant, irresponsible, and total disregard for the humanity of American citizens,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres during an interview Friday with Eyewitness News.

“Every incident we have looked at, ICE’s knee-jerk response is to put themselves as victims when we know they are the aggressors. They are heavily armed, masked individuals, storming neighborhoods and taking people down simply because of the color of their skin, or how they look. This behavior must stop.”

The shooting took place around 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning in the 2800 block of South Vineyard Avenue in Ontario.

According to ICE, the man who was shot, identified as 24-year-old Carlos Jimenez, was not their original target. Officials said they attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the driver of a gray sedan when the driver of a Lexus SUV tried to intervene. ICE said Jimenez drove up, turned around, threw his car in reverse, and tried to ram officers. That’s when an ICE agent opened fire, shooting out of the passenger window.

Video from AIR7 showed a sedan boxed in by an unmarked SUV and a pickup truck on South Vineyard Avenue. The street was temporarily shut down as the investigation continued, reopening around 3 p.m.

Ontario police responded to a “request for emergency assistance” after Department of Homeland Security officers were involved in the shooting. The request was made at 6:33 a.m. in the 2800 block of South Vineyard Avenue, the Ontario Police Department said in a statement, adding that its officers were not involved in the initial incident.

The location is in a residential neighborhood, west of the Whispering Lakes Golf Course.

“Several Ontario police officers responded to the scene to provide traffic control and scene security while DHS conducted their investigation,” the police department said in a statement.

The shooting is being investigated by Homeland Security and the FBI.

Jimenez’s brother said Carlos was on his way to work at a nearby food bank when he was shot. The family lives in a nearby mobile home park, and his brother ran in screaming that he’d been shot in the shoulder.

Police tape surrounded one of the residences on the property of the mobile home park, and the Lexus SUV with a shattered window was parked nearby. Family members drove Jimenez to the hospital.

After being transferred to Riverside Community Hospital, Jimenez was released later that afternoon.

According to ICE, he was subsequently booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, facing charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers.

In a statement, ICE said, “This is another example of the threats our ICE officers are facing day-in and day-out as they risk their lives to enforce the law and arrest criminals. ICE officers now face a 1,000% increase in assaults, including cars being used as weapons, and death threats against our agents are up 8,000%. This violence must end.

“Let me be clear: Anyone who assaults, impedes, obstructs, or threatens the lives of federal officers will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Immigrants’ rights groups expressed outrage over the shooting.

“You have federal agents coming in with masked faces, and not having to identify themselves, not having to provide a warrant,” said Javier Hernandez, executive director for the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice.

“The systems that are supposed to protect us are no longer there,” Hernandez added. “When the Supreme Court says you can racially profile people, now you have U.S. citizens who are being racially profiled—you have here possibly a U.S. citizen that was shot today.”

Carlos Jimenez is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court on Monday.
https://abc7.com/post/ontario-congresswoman-demanding-answers-resident-shot-ice-agents-during-operation/18096519/

DOJ says a “North Texas Antifa Cell” attacked a Texas ICE facility, 2 men indicted

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Federal prosecutors have charged two North Texas men accused of helping orchestrate a violent July 4 attack on a U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Alvarado, alleging the pair were part of an “Antifa cell” that plotted to target law enforcement officers with gunfire and explosives. Cameron Arnold and Zachary Evetts were federally charged with providing material support to terrorists, attempted murder of officers and employees of the U. S., and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, according to the indictment from the Department of Justice. The night of July 4, several masked individuals dressed in black, some of them armed, arrived at the Prairieland ICE detention facility, vandalizing vehicles and security cameras in the parking lot, according to authorities. When an Alvarado police officer tried to engage with a person from the group, an unknown number of people opened fire. At least one bullet struck the officer in the neck, police said. What is antifa? The DOJ said in the indictment that “Antifa is a militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to a revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology, which explicitly calls for the overthrow of the U. S. government, law enforcement authorities and the system of law.” The indictment claims the group that Arnold and Evetts were a part of did extensive preplanning before the incident, and that Arnold trained others on firearm use and close-quarters combat. The group was heavily armed with over 50 firearms that were purchased in Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Dallas and elsewhere, according to the indictment. The document also noted that Arnold allegedly built numerous AR-platform rifles, some of which he distributed to his co-defendants, and at least one of which featured a binary trigger, allowing the gun to shoot at a higher rate by causing two bullets to fire with each trigger cycle. Arnold, Evetts and others also used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate their moves, according to the DOJ. The investigation found that one member of the group wrote “I’m done with peaceful protests” and “Blue lives don’t matter” as part of those conversations. A federal judge in Fort Worth previously decided that Arnold and Evetts must remain behind bars, along with six others tied to the case. Short for “anti-fascist,” antifa activism can be traced back to antiracists who opposed the activities of members of the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis, according to a June 2020 report from the Congressional Research Service. The report describes antifa as “decentralized” and lacking a “unifying organizational structure or detailed ideology.” Instead, it consists of “independent, radical, like-minded groups and individuals” that largely believe in the principles of anarchism, socialism and communism. “There is no single organization called antifa. That’s just not the way these activists have ever organized themselves,” Michael Kenney, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who has studied antifa, recently told CBS News. “There’s tremendous variation inside that movement, even on issues like political violence.” The FBI has warned about violence perpetrated by antifa adherents, and in 2017, then-FBI Director Chris Wray told Congress that the bureau was looking into “a number of what we would call anarchist extremist investigations, where we have properly predicated subjects who are motivated to commit violent criminal activity on kind of an antifa ideology,” according to CRS. Defense argues “antifa thinking” is not a crime Defense attorneys for Arnold and Evetts argued that anti-government beliefs and “antifa thinking” are not grounds for a crime. They downplayed their clients’ role in the Fourth of July incident, discounting the certainty of gunshot residue evidence, arguing that owning guns is legal, and laying the majority of the blame on Benjamin Hanil Song, one of 17 people initially arrested in connection with the attack. One defense attorney argued that their client did not know what was going to happen that night, thinking they were just driving to protest. July 4 attack at a Texas immigration detention The attack occurred around 11 p. m. on July 4 outside the Prairieland ICE detention facility, which houses between 1, 000 and 2, 000 immigration detainees. According to the Alvarado Police Department, officers responding to the scene saw a person carrying what appeared to be a firearm. When one officer attempted to engage, multiple suspects opened fire Body camera footage captured the chaos as gunfire erupted. One officer was struck in the neck and flown to a Fort Worth hospital. He was treated and later released. Authorities said more than 50 weapons were seized in connection with the group. Additional firearms were recovered days later when Song was found hiding in a Dallas apartment.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-men-involved-in-ice-attack-in-north-texas-officially-charged-and-linked-to-antifa-terrorism/