A US citizen suffered a broken arm during a confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Long Beach, California, on Saturday 17 October. The man, identified as Ricardo González, a former municipal employee, was taken to a hospital after being detained by federal officers.
The incident was captured on video footage shared on social media, showing González handcuffed, lying face down near the kerb of a street as ICE agents held their knees on his back.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson confirmed that the man was injured and required medical attention, while his family alleged that agents used excessive force during the arrest.
The case sparked outcry from local officials and Democratic Congressman Robert García, who represents the city and described what happened as a brutal assault.
Qué ocurrió durante la detención del ciudadano estadounidense en California
According to Leslie González, the man’s daughter, writing on a fundraising campaign set up to cover his medical expenses, her father was riding an e-bike when he was knocked down by an unmarked ICE vehicle.
Law enforcement officers detain a protester blocking the garage entrance of the Los Angeles Federal Building following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
She stated that, after falling, agents tasered him twice, pinned him to the ground, and he was subsequently taken to hospital.
“They tasered him twice, pinned him to the ground, and took him to the hospital for severe injuries,” Leslie wrote in the post.
“What ICE did was not right,” she added.
Mayor Richardson told CNN that González managed to call for emergency assistance during the incident.
“When the police arrived, we know he was in custody. He was by the kerb. He was injured,” the mayor said.
So far, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, has not publicly explained why agents detained the US citizen.
Nor have official details been released regarding the circumstances that led to the initial confrontation.
La Policía de Long Beach confirmó que encontró al hombre esposado y herido
The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) issued a statement detailing its involvement during Saturday’s incident.
According to the department, federal agents also called for emergency assistance due to alleged acts of vandalism against vehicles and a person needing medical attention.
When local officers arrived, they encountered a crowd gathered and immigration agents conducting the operation.
LOS ANGELES (USA), 12/06/2025.- People gather for a rally following an incident where ICE agents rammed into a car to take a man into custody in the Boyle Heights neighborhood earlier that day; in Los Angeles, California, USA, 11 June 2025. Photo: EFE/EPA/CAROLINE BREHMAN
“An officer located an adult male handcuffed, detained by ICE, who was bleeding,” the department stated.
Police officers moved González to a nearby fire station, where his handcuffs were removed. Long Beach Fire Department personnel subsequently transported him to the hospital.
Local police clarified that they did not participate in any immigration enforcement operation or make any arrests during the incident.
They also reported that several ICE agents followed officers into a restricted-access parking lot, where they were instructed to leave.
They were subsequently informed that, should they wish to file a report regarding vandalism, they should contact the city’s dispatch centre.
La reacción del congresista Robert García y las críticas a ICE
Democratic Congressman Robert García, representing Long Beach in the House of Representatives, publicly challenged the operation and called for ICE to be abolished.
“ICE agents brutally assaulted and broke the arm of a North Long Beach resident and US citizen,” he wrote on X.
García also commended local residents who filmed the incident and supported the family during the detention.
“The videos are horrifying and should alarm not only our community, but the entire country,” the lawmaker said.
The congressman blamed President Donald Trump’s administration for immigration enforcement policies and called for an end to operations that he alleged violate the rights of immigrant communities.
The case comes amid growing scrutiny over the use of force by federal agents during immigration operations across several American cities.
Otro incidente con ICE en Texas terminó con un hombre gravemente herido
The California incident occurred just a week after another episode on 10 October in the Houston, Texas, area.
Protesters are blanketed in smoke along Alondra Boulevard during a standoff with law enforcement following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Los Angeles County city of Compton, California, U.S., June 7, 2025. REUTERS/Barbara Davidson
In that case, an ICE agent driving an unmarked pickup truck struck a man, leaving him with a leg broken in three places.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said he was considering filing aggravated assault charges against the federal agent after video surfaced showing the vehicle appearing to swerve towards the victim in a parking lot.
Immigrant advocacy group FIEL maintained that agents were looking for a different individual who had died years earlier. According to group representatives, they submitted a death certificate to the district attorney to support the claim.
ICE did not respond to queries from the Associated Press regarding that incident.
In the case of Ricardo González, federal authorities have yet to publicly clarify the exact circumstances of his detention. Meanwhile, his family continues to seek support to cover medical expenses resulting from the injuries he sustained during the operation.