TEMPE, AZ — A Tempe parent and student were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and taken to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, according to a post on X by Representative Greg Stanton.
Stanton posted on X on Wednesday that the family should be home celebrating their son's eighth-grade promotion, not in federal detention hundreds of miles away. Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro has since posted that the mother and son arrived in San Antonio.
The mother and son arrived in San Antonio this afternoon. Our children should be at school and with their family and friends. Not locked away at the Dilley trailer prison. Thank you @RepGregStanton for seeing the conditions at Dilley firsthand and fighting against this cruelty. https://t.co/BzcUAG3FWg
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) May 27, 2026
In a letter sent to families by Shamley School Principal Bronwyn Sternberg in the Tempe Elementary School District, she says the incident happened on Tuesday and that at no point did agents enter the school.
Sternberg added that the parent had signed the student out of school beforehand and that the detention did not happen on school property.
The letter goes on to state that Thursday is the school’s eighth-grade promotion ceremony, and to ensure safety, parents and guests will no longer be allowed in the audience. Sternberg says sixth- and seventh-grade students will attend the ceremony to celebrate, and it will be recorded with a link sent to families.
“This change may be disappointing for some families; however, we feel it is truly in the best interest of our students and staff. I appreciate the partnership, kind words, and questions that I have received from our parents. Thank you for your cooperation as we prioritize our students,” she said.
A district spokesperson said they have been made aware that some students are considering protesting or walking out on Thursday. The district said it respects that right, but that students must be properly signed out by a parent. The spokesperson said additional security measures will also be on campus.
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement provided the following statement:
Claims circulating about an ICE operation, raid, or enforcement action at or near Cecil Shamley School are completely inaccurate and appear to be sensationalized. ICE did not conduct any such activity at the school.
ICE officers arrested Margoth Del Pilar Paredes-Ortiz, a 47-year-old illegal alien from Ecuador, on May 26, 2026, following a referral from United States Border Patrol, after her vehicle failed to yield as a suspected alien smuggling load vehicle. Paredes-Ortiz was subject to a removal order issued by an Immigration Judge on March 19, 2025.
Upon arrival at the Phoenix Field Office, Paredes-Ortiz requested that her juvenile son, also an illegal alien from Ecuador with a final order of removal, be returned with her to Ecuador. She stated that her son was currently in class at Cecil Shamley School, and that no other family members were available to care for him or bring him to the field office. Paredes-Ortiz voluntarily called Cecil Shamley School and requested that her son be released so he could meet her while she was in ICE custody. ICE officers transported Paredes-Ortiz to a location near the school in unmarked government vehicles. A school administrator escorted her son to the ICE officers, and he was voluntarily reunited with his mother in ICE custody without incident.
ICE follows established policies and guidelines governing enforcement actions near schools and other sensitive locations. For more information, please refer to the agency’s published guidelines here [ice.gov].
