An 18-year-old deaf Los Angeles high-school senior says a downtown protest turned violent when federal immigration officers tackled and detained him outside a federal lockup. His account, along with video clips racing across social media, has LAUSD educators and local community groups demanding an investigation and preparing civil action.
Anthony Paredes, a senior at Ramón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, says officers grabbed him on Jan. 24 as he joined a protest outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, held him for several hours, then released him with a citation. Organizers with Unión del Barrio and educators say Paredes, who is deaf and primarily uses sign language, was mistreated and are backing his push for accountability, according to La Opinión.
What the videos show
Multiple clips posted to social media show armed agents in Department of Homeland Security uniforms sprinting after a young man in downtown Los Angeles, then pinning him face down on the pavement. In the background, bystanders can be heard yelling that he is deaf and cannot follow shouted commands. Paredes and his supporters say the footage makes it obvious he could not respond to verbal orders, as reported by the Daily News.
Paredes said he joined the demonstration in solidarity with people killed in recent federal enforcement actions. While he was in custody, he says, officers did not provide sign-language interpreters and ignored his requests to use a bathroom. Speaking to reporters through an interpreter at a Jan. 31 news conference, he said he would “continue going to the protests and won’t give up,” organizers said, according to La Opinión.
Educators demand justice
On Jan. 31, roughly 60 educators and community organizers rallied outside LAUSD headquarters, calling on federal authorities to drop any charges and announcing plans to file a claim and lawsuit over Paredes’ treatment. “This was a brutal assault,” said Ron Gochez, an LAUSD teacher and organizer. Organizers say Paredes is set to appear in court April 1 and that the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment, as reported by the Daily News.
Why it matters
The arrest unfolded amid a wave of nationwide protests after the Jan. 24 killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, a series of events that has pushed activists into the streets and turned a harsh spotlight on federal enforcement tactics. The Los Angeles Times has documented how the Pretti shooting and other recent operations have helped fuel demonstrations from Minneapolis to Los Angeles.
Advocates say Paredes’ case highlights hard questions about how federal agents communicate with people with disabilities at volatile protests and whether detainees get timely access to interpreters and necessities while in custody. Organizers say they plan to track Paredes’ April hearing and press forward with civil claims as part of a broader accountability push, as listed by MyNewsLA.
