Routine Drop-Off Turns Traumatic
Beloved father Arnulfo Bazan has been deported after what began as a simple school drop-off turned into a nightmare.
A routine school drop-off on Thursday, Oct. 23, turned into a nightmare for Arnulfo Bazan and his 16-year-old son, Arnoldo, in Houston. According to FIEL Houston, unmarked vehicles with masked individuals—later identified as ICE agents—chased and attacked the father and son during the drive.
Violent Confrontation Caught on Video
FIEL shared footage showing masked individuals allegedly ramming Bazan’s car and physically assaulting both him and his son. Arnulfo was detained during the encounter and, according to FIEL, intimidated into signing a voluntary deportation, resulting in his removal from the United States shortly after the incident.
Family Reacts
The Bazan family held a press conference with FIEL Houston to demand justice, accountability, and transparency. Arnoldo, a U.S. citizen and promising soccer player, said he is still recovering both physically and emotionally.
“El trabajaba duro para ayudarnos y sacarnos adelante, y cumplir nuestro sueño,” said Arnoldo Bazan, his son. (“He worked hard to help us and lift us up, to fulfill our dream.”)
Samantha Bazan, his daughter, added, “We’ve never been split like this. The first few days while you were gone, we have not been able to sleep, and we have not been able to rest because you were what mattered most to us.”
Selena Bazan said, “Todos estos años que usted ha estado trabajando aquí, siempre trabajando y haciendo lo correcto, usted no merecía esto.” (“All these years you’ve worked here, always working and doing what’s right — you didn’t deserve this.”)
Maria Bazan reflected on their father’s guidance: “He always reminded us that we could do anything that we set our minds to. He always made us go for our dreams and push forward.”
Community Demands Accountability
FIEL Houston emphasized that ICE agents are not above the law and expressed concern about the agency’s growing presence in the city.
“As ICE presence increases in our city, we fear that more incidents like this can unfold,” said Cesar Espinosa, FIEL Executive Director.
“How are we as community members supposed to know who is who if ICE doesn’t identify themselves?”
The Bazan family and FIEL Houston are calling for investigations into the conduct of the agents involved and measures to prevent similar incidents from happening to other families in Houston.
For more on this tragic story, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.