California Man in U.S. for 35 Years Detained by ICE on School Run

A California man was on his way to pick up his children to take them to school in Manteca, around 70 miles east of San Francisco, when he was stopped by two unmarked vehicles.

What unfolded next was a moment of disbelief and fear that shattered a family and left them searching for answers.

Juan Alejandro Munoz, 38, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on 19 February. His wife, Suri Ibarra, 36, told Newsweek she is devastated after his detention.

“I have been restless since this happened. I have been overcome by waves of sadness and crying randomly throughout the day. We hear about families being torn apart in the news often, but never imagined it would happen to us,” she said.

Newsweek has contacted ICE via email for comment.

President Donald Trump has pledged to conduct widespread deportations as his administration looks to remove millions of undocumented immigrants. The White House has said anyone living in the country illegally is considered to be a “criminal.”

Munoz, who has lived in the U.S. for more than three decades, is now being held in a detention facility in Arizona as his family fights to bring him home and prevent his deportation.

He had been on his way to pick up his children when he was stopped by ICE agents. Despite a recent separation, Ibarra said Munoz had made a point to move close to the family home to remain actively involved in the children’s daily lives. “He called me on his way,” she recalled, “and that’s when I overheard officers questioning him and telling him to get out of the vehicle, saying they had an ICE warrant for his arrest.”

During the arrest, Munoz, sounding confused and alarmed, asked to see the warrant, especially since the ICE agents were initially calling him by another name. Ibarra said the officers refused to show any documentation and instead forcibly removed him from the vehicle.

Fearing for his safety, Ibarra rushed to the scene with their children.

“He was being handcuffed and shackled by ICE agents. I also asked the agent for proof of an ICE warrant, and he told me he didn’t have to show it to me. When I asked where they were taking him, he said, ‘You’ll find out once he calls you,'” she said.

What followed was a desperate search to track him down.

“I began reaching out to lawyers who told me to move quickly to locate him, as the first 24 hours are the most crucial,” Ibarra said.

I began calling local jails to no avail until I found a local detention center I believed he was in. The phone number associated with that center was not working, so I drove down and found he was being held there,” she said.

Munoz was eventually transferred to Eloy Detention Center in Arizona. Originally from Mexico, he came to the United States at the age of 3 in 1990, brought by his mother, who was seeking medical help for her sick daughter. He has lived in the U.S. for over three decades and has no legal status.

Munoz, a barber and a father to four children, two of whom are autistic.

The impact on their children has been emotionally distressing.

“His younger two children are the most affected, as they do not understand why he’s in ‘jail,’ as they call it. My sons pray for his release daily and are asking constantly when their dad is going to come home because they miss him so much,” Ibarra said.

They often ask their mother to take them to their father’s favorite restaurants and watch his favorite movies.

“It’s their way of reliving memories with him. He’s been a very present and involved parent regardless of our separation. Our kids are struggling to understand or accept the loss of their father.”

Recently, after a long legal battle and countless prayers, the family was granted a bond hearing—a chance for Munoz to return home and fight his case from California. While grateful for the opportunity, the family is now faced with an unexpectedly high bond they are struggling to cover.

With a hearing date set for June 10, the family’s focus is on gathering the support needed to bring Munoz home and prevent a permanent separation.

“All we could imagine was the worst. We feared he’d be deported, and all he’s worked for and accomplished would be thrown away,” Ibarra said.