Attorneys representing the 15-year-old filed a $1 million claim against the federal government alleging unconstitutional racial profiling after federal agents detained the Latino U.S. citizen with special needs at gunpoint outside Arleta High School. The incident occurred on Aug. 11 while the boy waited in a parked vehicle with his mother, who was on a phone call. Masked agents in a white truck opened the car, pointed guns, pulled both occupants out, and detained the teen while denying the mother the ability to accompany him. The teen was handcuffed and later released crying; attorneys assert the incident harms vulnerable students and Latinos.
They are violating the rights of not only people, Latinos in Los Angeles and California, but also students who need protection, students who are vulnerable, students that are really trying to get an education, said Christian Contreras, one of the attorneys representing the teen.
All I remember was I seen this white truck approaching my car. I was still on the phone and I just seen all these men coming out of that truck pointing their guns at my son and myself, Mejia said at a Tuesday news conference in front of LAUSD's downtown LA headquarters.
My friend on the phone said that she heard when my son was like, Oh, my name is so-and-so. I'm 15 years old, I'm in special classes and I'm a U.S. citizen, Mejia recalled.
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