Amid Outcry, Foster Youth Advocate Detained by ICE

On a warm August night, Axel Pecero went out with friends in Los Angeles to see live music. Afterward, the former foster youth walked back to his Burbank hotel, where he was attending a work conference on youth with substance and behavioral health issues.

He never made it. Pecero was first stopped by police, and then remanded into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He continues to be held, facing possible deportation, at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County.

“I came here at the age of 3, and all I’ve ever known is being in America,” the 25-year-old father said in a telephone call with The Imprint this fall. “I really do feel like I belong here. I can’t imagine going back to Mexico and not being in my son’s life.”

Scores of supporters, including state politicians in California, have pleaded with the courts to let Pecero stay.

“I watched Axel grow as a leader, and saw how he brought the lived experiences of the foster care system to legislators,” said Sen. Caroline Menjivar. “To hear that he was detained in my own district, it’s heartbreaking.”