Border Patrol Agents Detain Disabled Teen Outside L.A. High School in Case of Mistaken Identity

U.S. Border Patrol agents briefly detained a 15-year-old boy with disabilities outside a high school in the Van Nuys neighborhood this week in what officials are calling a case of mistaken identity.

The teenager, who has "significant disabilities," was sitting in a vehicle with his grandmother outside Arleta High School when federal immigration agents approached, handcuffed him, and took him briefly into custody, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District.

FOX 11 detailed that the student attends San Fernando High School and had accompanied his grandmother to Arleta High to help a relative register for classes. He was detained while waiting outside the school.

"This young man was placed in handcuffs, presumably based on mistaken identity," LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said during an Aug. 10 press conference. "He is not an adult. He's a 15-year-old boy with significant disabilities."

Carvalho added that the school's principal followed district protocol by contacting the LAUSD School Police Department and the minor was released shortly after.

"The release will not release him from what he experienced," Carvalho said. "The trauma will linger. It will not cease. It is unacceptable."

The superintendent noted that after the incident Border Patrol agents left bullets on the ground near the school, which were later collected by school police.

"That example says all we need to know about why these actions should not be taking place around schools — bullets on the ground," Carvalho said. "What else do we need beyond the trauma? What else do we need besides mistaken identity? How about encounters with children with profound disabilities who are non-communicative? Have we thought about that?"

In response to growing fears about immigration enforcement near campuses, LAUSD officials announced the expansion of designated "safe zones" and other measures to protect students and families before and after school.

When school begins on Aug. 14, the district will deploy staff from both central and regional offices to campuses across the district to monitor surrounding areas and support safe passage for students. Although local police agencies cannot interfere with federal enforcement, they can notify parents about enforcement activity along walking routes and trigger alerts to nearby schools.

The school district will also update policies, adjust bus routes and has mailed and emailed "family preparedness packs" to households that include information on rights, resources, LAUSD's "compassion fund" and how to update emergency contacts, FOX 11 reported.

Carvalho warned that recent immigration operations near schools have spread fear in immigrant communities and may affect attendance.

"We are concerned about the first, second, and third weeks of school," Carvalho said. "We don't know what enrollment will look like. We know many parents may have already left our community. They may have self-deported. We don't know, and that can be disruptive to this school year."