Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Are there documented cases of ICE arresting DACA recipients at public ceremonies?
Executive summary
Reporting from multiple outlets documents arrests and detentions of people protected by DACA at public places such as airports, schools and graduation-related events; El Paso court rulings ordered releases after judges found detentions unlawful in at least two cases [1] [2]. Advocacy groups and legal organizations say ICE has detained dozens of DACA recipients in recent months and that some arrests have prompted lawsuits and injunctions [3] [4].
1. What the evidence shows: documented arrests at public ceremonies and locations
News organizations and immigrant-rights groups have reported specific incidents in which DACA recipients were apprehended in public settings — most prominently Catalina “Xóchitl” Santiago, detained at El Paso International Airport while boarding a domestic flight [1], and other reported arrests tied to school-related events and graduations noted by the American Immigration Council [5]. Local reporting from El Paso captured footage and accounts of DACA recipients removed in public that led to federal litigation and, in at least two El Paso cases, judicial orders for release [4] [2].
2. How advocates and legal groups frame the pattern
The American Immigration Council and other advocacy organizations portray these incidents as part of a broader enforcement push that has targeted Dreamers in public spaces — including graduations, schools and airports — prompting schools to stream ceremonies and families to skip events out of safety concerns [5]. Legal advocates argue that some detentions contravene DACA’s protections and due process, and they pointed to favorable federal rulings in El Paso as evidence that the government overstepped [2].
3. Government and DHS response and competing claims
The Department of Homeland Security has emphasized that DACA “does not confer any form of legal status” and that individuals — including DACA recipients — may be detained if there are criminal grounds, a line DHS has used to justify some detentions [1] [3]. At the same time, DHS spokespeople have defended agents’ actions in specific cases by pointing to alleged criminal histories [1]. These government statements create a competing narrative to that of advocates who say protected recipients are being swept up despite DACA’s intended safeguards [3].
4. Judicial pushback and legal outcomes
Federal judges in El Paso ordered the release of at least two DACA recipients after finding the government offered insufficient reasons for their prolonged detention, demonstrating that courts are an avenue for reversing some of these arrests [2]. El Paso legal victories have been publicly highlighted by attorneys as precedent that ICE cannot “arbitrarily detain” DACA beneficiaries without due process [2].
5. Scale and limits of current reporting
Investigative and local coverage documents multiple high-profile detentions and activists’ claims of dozens of DACA beneficiaries in custody, but available reporting in these sources does not establish a definitive nationwide count or a comprehensive list of ceremonies where arrests occurred [3] [6]. Some outlets cite activists’ estimates of up to 20 DACA recipients detained in particular timeframes, while others focus on individual cases that went to court [6] [4]. Available sources do not mention a complete national database of arrests at ceremonies.
6. Journalistic context: why public arrests matter politically and legally
Arrests of DACA recipients at public events — especially at schools and airports — fuel political controversy by raising questions about deterrence of community participation, possible violations of local settlement agreements (as litigated in Chicago reporting), and the adequacy of screening before detention [5] [7]. Advocates say public arrests chill attendance at milestone events; government officials counter that criminal history can justify detention even for DACA holders [5] [1].
7. Conflicting perspectives and what to watch next
Advocates and legal teams say court rulings (like those in El Paso) show unlawful detention practices and will spur more challenges [2]. DHS and ICE maintain detentions can be lawful when tied to alleged criminal conduct [1]. Watch for additional federal rulings, more local reporting of school- or ceremony-linked arrests, and any agency policy clarifications addressing enforcement around sensitive sites; current sources document notable cases and legal pushback but do not resolve whether these incidents are isolated or indicative of a sustained nationwide policy shift [4] [2].
If you want, I can compile a short timeline of the El Paso cases and the graduation-related reporting with direct links and quotes from the court orders and news articles cited above.