ICE shuffles and transfers detainees without notifying their family’: teen mysteriously moved out of California

A family has been left in a state of shock after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) moved their eighteen-year-old relative, Benjamin Guerrero Cruz, out of California without telling them. California congresswoman Luz Rivas, who has spoken with the family and looked at federal detention records, has pointed to this case as an example of a larger problem with the way ICE operates.

Benjamin Guerrero Cruz was first taken into custody in the Van Nuys area while he was walking his dog. After that, he was held at a facility in downtown Los Angeles for one week. During that time, a former teacher, Liz Becerra, visited him, and he told her he was surrounded by masked men who handed him over to federal agents.

He also told Becerra that he was not allowed to shower or brush his teeth for the entire week. After his week in downtown Los Angeles, he was moved to the Adelanto detention facility in San Bernardino County. While at Adelanto, he reported being held in a small cell with about two dozen other men and having very limited access to food and water.

ICE is being awful to those in its custody

Late on a Monday, without any communication to his family, Guerrero Cruz was moved from the Adelanto facility to a faraway holding site in Arizona. The next day, ICE got ready to transport him to Louisiana, which is a major hub for deportation flights. However, at the very last moment, he was taken off the plane and brought back to Adelanto, where he is still being held.

The family believes they are owed an explanation for the agency’s unpredictable and chaotic choices, including the first transfer to Arizona and the later attempt to move him to Louisiana. They also want to know why they were not told where he was throughout this entire process.

Congresswoman Rivas said in a statement, “The nightmare for him, his family, and thousands in similar situations is not over yet. I will not accept the current reality that ICE shuffles and transfers detainees without notifying their family to inflict psychological pain for all of those involved. Benjamin and his family deserve answers behind Ice’s inconsistent and chaotic decision-making process, including why Benjamin was initially transferred to Arizona, why he was slated to be transferred to Louisiana afterward, and why his family wasn’t notified of his whereabouts by Ice throughout this process.”

The Department of Homeland Security has stated that Guerrero Cruz is facing deportation to Chile because he overstayed his visa, which required him to leave the United States by March 15, 2023. His first arrest happened on August 8.

In response to this case, Congresswoman Luz Rivas has taken legislative action. She introduced a bill that would force ICE to tell a detainee’s immediate family about a transfer within twenty-four hours. The current rules only require notification to a family if a detainee dies.