US Citizen Injured During ICE Detention in California as Mayor and Congressman Demand Investigation
A man was injured while being detained by federal immigration agents in Long Beach, California, in an encounter captured on video that shows agents pinning him down against a curb as he yelled for help. A local congressman has said the detained man is a United States citizen.
Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, whose district includes Long Beach, described the incident as “incredibly disturbing” and said the man is a US citizen.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson has filed a formal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security over Saturday's encounter. In the complaint, he said the man “reportedly was subjected to repeated Taser use, forcibly restrained, and sustained significant injuries.”
In a statement on Monday, the mayor identified the man as Ricardo Gonzalez — a Long Beach resident, a father, and a former City employee.
The Long Beach Police Department said officers who responded to the scene on Saturday saw a “large group disturbance” involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and found Gonzalez handcuffed and bleeding while being detained by ICE.
In a video posted on social media by StopICE.net, Gonzalez can be heard yelling “Help me!” while being pinned on the street against a curb. He repeatedly said his arm was broken and could be heard moaning in pain while being detained.
According to the police department, officers brought him to a local fire station, where they removed his handcuffs, and then transported him to a local hospital for medical treatment.
It is unclear what specific injuries Gonzalez sustained or what led ICE to detain him. A family member said on Monday that they have no comment at this time.
According to the mayor's complaint to DHS, Gonzalez had contacted the Long Beach Police Department seeking assistance during a confrontation with federal immigration agents.
Long Beach police, for their part, said their officers responded after ICE personnel requested emergency assistance from local authorities due to vehicle vandalism taking place and a subject in need of medical aid. The department made clear that its officers were not involved in any immigration enforcement and that its personnel made no arrests.
Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has called for an investigation into the incident. At a press conference on Monday, he said there is no reporting that Gonzalez was doing anything wrong — no public reporting at all — and that he had received no information from his own police department suggesting Gonzalez was engaged in any criminal activity.
“What happened to Ricardo is outrageous and unacceptable,” Richardson said. On Monday he submitted his formal complaint to DHS demanding accountability for the actions of federal immigration agents in Long Beach. The Department of Homeland Security has been asked for comment, but no response had been received by the time of this report.
