ICE officers detain Long Beach resident, resulting in broken arm

Federal immigration agents detained Ricardo Gonzalez, a former city employee, in Long Beach, California, after which he sustained a broken arm and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Video from the incident shows Gonzalez handcuffed and lying face down in a gutter while ICE officers knelt on his back.

Mayor Rex Richardson told CNN that Gonzalez called emergency responders during the confrontation and that police arrived to find him injured on a curb. The Long Beach Police Department said its officers found a handcuffed man bleeding, removed his restraints at a fire station, and then escorted him to medical care.

Gonzalez’s daughter, Leslie, said in a fundraiser description that her father was knocked off his e-bike by an unmarked ICE vehicle, tased twice, and pinned to the ground before being hospitalized. She described the incident as “not right.”

Congressman Robert Garcia posted on X that he was disturbed by the encounter and called for the abolition of ICE, adding that the videos of the incident were “horrific.”

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not provided a public comment on the reasons for Gonzalez’s detention. The agency often frames its actions as self-defense or public-safety measures.

The Long Beach Police Department stated it was not involved in any immigration enforcement action and that ICE agents were later directed to leave the station after the incident. The department noted that ICE personnel could file a vandalism report through the city’s communications center if desired.

The case follows other recent incidents involving ICE officers, including a October 10 event in Texas where an ICE agent driving an unmarked SUV allegedly ran over a man, breaking his leg in three places. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said he was considering felony assault charges in that case.