KTVZ News confirms ICE agents in Bend; family of detainee speaks out
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Rumors on social media caused confusion and chaos earlier this week that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were in Central Oregon, carrying out raids. KTVZ News can now confirm that an individual from Bend has been detained, and his family is now sharing his story.
A family member who wishes to remain anonymous told us Wednesday, “At first, we weren't really worried, because we never really thought that it could happen in our small community - until it happened to us.”
Ariel Manzanerez's family shared pictures on social media, showing what they say appears to be an ICE agent in an unmarked vehicle.
“We then received a call from him at 1:56 p.m.," the family member said. "We were informed that he was being detained by ICE. He was approached by an ICE officer in plainclothes in the Safeway parking lot.”
His family says Manzanerez was here in the country seeking political asylum and is originally from Nicaragua. According to family members, he immigrated to the United States in 2020, was given a work permit in Arizona and moved to Bend, where he owns a small business.
“Upon his release in 2020, he had been checking in with immigration, whenever he was summoned to appear at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Medford," the family member said. "He had never missed a single appointment.”
Crackdowns continue across the nation as President Trump ordered mass detainments of undocumented migrants with criminal backgrounds.
KTVZ News searched for Manzanerez in public records and could not find any criminal history. The state of Oregon is considered a sanctuary state, meaning local law enforcement cannot provide non-public information to immigration officers
Tom Homan, the Trump administration's "border czar," said similar arrests will be occurring across the country.
“When in sanctuary cities, you're going to see a higher number of collateral arrests," Homan told CNN. "If they're in the country illegally, they're going to get arrested, too. ”
Manzanerez's family is now urging the Central Oregon Latino community to stay vigilant.
“The message that I'm trying to push out is stay informed and be well-behaved, and show this country that they need us, like it or not," the family member said. "Because without us, they are nothing. ”
Manzanerez is now being detained at the Pacific Northwest processing center in Tacoma, Washington awaiting deportation. Meanwhile, his family says they are now pursuing legal action.