Full Breakdown
ICE Assault Leaves Long Beach Resident with Broken Arm
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Incident
On Saturday, October 17, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Ricardo Gonzalez, a 40-year-old former Long Beach city employee, as he rode an electric bicycle near Elm Avenue and 56th Street in North Long Beach. Video shows agents in an unmarked vehicle surrounding him, handcuffing him face-down in a gutter, and kneeling on his back. Gonzalez was tased twice, fell, and sustained a broken arm that required hospitalization. His daughter, Leslie Gonzalez, said he later attended his son’s soccer match despite the injury.
Background & Context
The encounter occurred amid heightened community tension over the presence of unmarked federal law-enforcement vehicles in the neighborhood. ICE’s role in immigration enforcement has drawn criticism after multiple incidents nationwide, including a parallel October 10 case in Texas where an ICE-driven vehicle broke a man’s leg. A ProPublica investigation earlier this month documented more than 500 encounters involving U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents since the start of the second Trump administration, including over 100 cases where agents questioned citizenship and at least 70 involving children or teenagers. Four U.S. citizens—Ruben Ray Martinez, Keith Porter Jr., Renee Good, and Alex Pretti—were killed by Department of Homeland Security agents during that period, and more than 50 immigrants have died in ICE custody since January 2025.
Data & Statistics
- >500 U.S. citizen detentions by ICE since the second Trump administration (ProPublica).
- >100 of those detentions involved agents questioning the individuals’ citizenship (ProPublica).
- >=70 children or teenagers were among those detained (ProPublica).
- 4 U.S. citizens killed by DHS agents during the same timeframe (Propublica).
- >50 immigrant deaths in ICE custody since January 2025 (ProPublica).
Official Statements & Responses
City Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk demanded that ICE keep “its hands off our people,” calling the assault “lawless chaos.” Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA) posted on X that the videos were “horrific” and called for the abolition of ICE.
Criticism & Opposition
Bill Essayli, a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor, rebuked Garcia’s condemnation, suggesting that compliance with lawful commands could reduce such incidents.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The precise reason ICE agents approached Gonzalez remains unclear. A neighbor reported that an agent accused Gonzalez of throwing something at the vehicle, while ICE has offered no public explanation. Long Beach Police Department (LBPD)’s account emphasizes a request for emergency assistance, whereas community witnesses describe a “violent arrest” with no evident warrant. No federal agency has responded to media inquiries for comment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “What ICE did was not right.” — Rex Richardson, long beach mayor
- “I've never seen so many US citizen encounters in all my years,” — Darius Reeves
- “I saw the guy. He had a hat, e-bike and his glasses,” — Patty Villareal
- “ICE agents brutally attacked and broke the arm of a North Long Beach resident and U.S. citizen,” — Congressman Robert Garcia