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HasICE arrested anyone during a graduation ceremony?
Executive summary
Reporting from mid-2025 shows multiple instances where ICE arrests have disrupted graduation seasons — with at least one high‑profile case of an 18‑year‑old Milford (MA) student detained the day before his commencement and other students missing graduations after detentions [1] [2]. Sources document widespread raids and community fear that kept families away from many Los Angeles and other local ceremonies, though direct on‑stage or inside‑ceremony arrests are disputed in specific cases [3] [4] [5].
1. A clear example: Milford student detained before graduation
Newsweek and local reporting, cited by multiple outlets, say an 18‑year‑old Milford High School student was detained by ICE one day before he was to perform at his school’s graduation; community leaders and the governor publicly demanded answers and protested the detention [1] [2] [6]. Coverage states the student was taken into custody off campus; the arrest prompted rallies and a visible reaction at the graduation itself as classmates and officials spoke about his absence [1] [2].
2. Other graduations missing students because of ICE detentions
Beyond Milford, Connecticut and Washington state reporting documents students whose names were read or stages left empty because family members or the students themselves were detained ahead of ceremonies. Connecticut Public described a Maloney High School graduation missing a student whose father and he were detained after a check‑in, and KUOW reported families absent at a Washington graduation after local workplace raids and deportations [7] [8]. These items illustrate widespread consequences even when arrests did not occur at the ceremony venue itself [7] [8].
3. LA raids changed the graduation environment — fear, perimeters, and school responses
Human Rights Watch and local education outlets record a surge of ICE and related federal actions in Los Angeles that led many immigrant families to skip graduations and prompted school districts to take protective steps: creating “perimeters of safety,” offering transport, and stationing school police to allow safe exits [3] [9] [10]. Reporting describes hundreds of raids in LA that produced fear of public appearance and concrete operational steps by districts to try to shield attendees [3] [9].
4. Disputed claims about agents entering specific ceremonies
Social‑media claims that ICE physically raided some school graduations have been challenged. Snopes investigated a viral allegation that ICE made arrests at Gratts Learning Academy’s June 6 ceremony and found no evidence that ICE entered that school or interrupted that particular graduation; LAUSD said the ceremony continued without disruption [5]. This points to a mix of verified arrests near graduations and unverified or false claims about agents entering school auditoriums.
5. Arrests “around” graduations vs. arrests “during” ceremonies — the reporting distinction
The sources draw a distinction between arrests that happened off campus or in the surrounding community shortly before or after graduations and arrests that occurred inside ceremonies or on school property. The Milford case involved an off‑campus detention the day before graduation [1] [2]. Other LA reporting emphasizes raids visible from or near graduation venues that nonetheless left families afraid to attend [11] [10]. Snopes’ fact check underscores that not every viral claim of an on‑campus raid stood up to verification [5].
6. Competing frames: public‑safety enforcement vs. community‑harm arguments
ICE and federal authorities frame such operations as enforcement actions focused on immigration laws and, in some cases, public safety; advocates and rights groups argue the raids are indiscriminate, cause terror in Latino communities, and deny basic rights — leading to missed graduations and family separations [3] [9]. Human Rights Watch documents the chilling effect on public life in Los Angeles, while school officials describe practical mitigation measures and public outcry at specific detentions [3] [9].
7. What the available sources do not say
Available sources do not mention a verified, widely reported incident where ICE agents arrested people physically inside the middle of a graduation ceremony at Gratts Learning Academy or confirm every viral social‑media video alleging an on‑stage arrest [5]. For specific allegations beyond the cited Milford and Connecticut cases, reporting either shows arrests nearby or documents community fear rather than on‑site arrests [1] [7] [10].
8. Bottom line for readers
Documented cases in 2025 show ICE detentions directly affecting graduations — students detained off campus or families staying away because of raids — and at least one prominent arrest the day before a graduation [1] [2] [7]. Claims that ICE routinely stormed and made arrests inside specific graduation ceremonies are mixed: some viral allegations were not substantiated on inspection [5], while broader reporting confirms a pattern of raids that materially disrupted graduation season in multiple communities [3] [10]. Readers should treat social‑media videos and claims cautiously and rely on local reporting and official statements for verification [5] [2].