LA Teachers Rally for Reseda High Student Detained by ICE

Support for Detained Student

• 🍎 A group of Los Angeles Unified School Teachers gathered to support an 18-year-old Reseda High School senior.
• detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for over a month.
• 🎓 The student, Benjamin Guerrero Cruz, was days away from starting his senior year and is now in a cell, presumably awaiting deportation.

Teacher's Visit and Concerns

• 👩‍🏫 Teacher Liz Epa's Sarah visited Benjamin at the Adelanto Detention Center.
• 📄 ICE states Benjamin is a gally illegal alien from Chile who overstayed his visa by more than two years and will remain in ICE custody pending removal.
• 💔 Visitors express that Benjamin is struggling and that the situation is heartbreaking and traumatizing for him, his family, and the community.

Community Reaction

• 🚶‍♀️ A neighbor witnessed Benjamin being taken into custody and also visited him.
• 🗣️ The message from the protesting teachers was "Education not deportation."
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 There is a strong desire for Benjamin to be able to finish his senior year and be reunited with his family.
• ⚖️ Benjamin was scheduled for a court appearance and hearing today, though the outcome is not yet known.