Federal immigration agents violently detained a 20-year-old US citizen and Santa Maria, California, High School student with special needs on Wednesday morning, according to school and city officials, the Associated Press reported.

Source: Associated Press via SWOK News

The student, who has limited verbal communication and is on an individualized education program, was walking to school when agents tackled him, questioned him about his citizenship and restrained him in their vehicle, Santa Maria City Council member Gloria Soto said. He was eventually released in the area where he was picked up and walked to school, where officials called an ambulance to take him to hospital.

Soto said the student underwent surgery for wrist injuries, along with bruises and cuts sustained during the encounter, and that a school resource officer obtained security footage from a nearby grocery store which, she said, confirms the people who detained him were ICE agents. The student later gave a statement to Santa Maria police at the hospital, and the footage has been turned over to the Department of Homeland Security as part of its investigation.

ICE gave a different account. In an emailed statement, an ICE spokesperson said officers were conducting a targeted operation in Santa Maria when they encountered a person they believed matched the description of their target, described by the agency as a criminal illegal alien. ICE said the individual resisted officers, refused lawful commands and assumed a fighting stance with clenched fists, and that personnel controlled the situation until they confirmed his identity and released him. ICE disputed claims of broken bones, saying the student never requested medical assistance.

What is solid

  • A 20-year-old US citizen student with special needs was detained by ICE agents on his walk to Santa Maria High School on Wednesday and released after his identity was confirmed, according to local officials and ICE's own statement.
  • He was taken to hospital after reaching school, and local officials say grocery-store security footage of the detention is now with the Department of Homeland Security.

What is only claimed

  • Local officials say he suffered wrist injuries requiring surgery, along with bruises and cuts; ICE disputes that he suffered broken bones.
  • Local officials describe a violent tackle of a student with limited verbal communication; ICE says he resisted, refused commands and took a fighting stance.

US Representative Salud Carbajal, whose district includes Santa Maria, said he was "deeply disturbed and outraged" by the detainment, noting the student is a US citizen and, in his words, sustained injuries severe enough to need surgery. "Our schools must remain safe places for students and families, free from fear, intimidation, and racial profiling," Carbajal said.

Source: US Rep. Salud Carbajal (official statement)

City and school leaders have demanded an independent review of the encounter. The student's name has not been released in the reporting, and no charges against him were announced.