Families of ICE detainees pleading for safe return of loved ones following SoCal raids

CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- The families of people detained during a recent ICE raid at a car wash in Culver City are pleading for the safe return of their loved ones.

"My dad isn't a criminal... I just want my dad to come home safe," said Jaslyn Hernandez, whose father was detained by ICE at the Culver City Express Hand Car Wash and Detail over the weekend.

Jaslyn and Kimberly Hernandez are asking that ICE release their father.

Jaslyn said her father missed one of her major milestones -- graduating high school, due to him being in ICE custody.

"Because of him, I was able to finish high school with great achievement. But because of him being detained, he wasn't able to watch me walk the stage, the moment he worked hard for," she said.

According to the carwash worker center, CLEAN, 26 people, 25 workers and one customer were picked up and detained at the car wash.

Noemi Ciau said her husband was also detained by ICE.

"We have not been able to find him on the locator website. He's nowhere to be found," Ciau said.

According to the California Budget and Policy Center, undocumented immigrants contributed $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2022.

Brian Vasquez said that he and his father were at the car wash Saturday when his dad was detained. His father was later sent to a detention facility in El Paso, Texas. Brian hopes his father will be returned to Los Angeles.

"I screamed at my dad, promising that I'll do anything for him and after that we were crying just sitting down, trying our best to stay calm and, from there, just the process of trying to get him back," said Brian he told his father while he was being detained.

Brian said they've been able to get a lawyer to help his father return to L.A.