When news broke that a father was arrested by immigration agents outside a Long Island high school, the story quickly went viral. People were outraged. Headlines and social media posts painted a picture of a hardworking dad being ripped away from his family on the first day of school. Some even called it a heartless act by the government.
But as we dug deeper into the facts, the story turned out to be much more complicated.
The man arrested was Jaime Manuel Perez, a 43-year-old from El Salvador. On September 3, he was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, just outside Brentwood High School in Long Island. At first glance, it seemed like he was just a father dropping off his child. But federal officials say there’s a lot more to the story.
According to ICE, Perez wasn’t just any undocumented immigrant. He was a wanted fugitive with ties to one of the world’s most dangerous gangs—MS-13. The government of El Salvador had issued charges against him for extortion and making violent threats. He was flagged by Interpol, which is like an international police agency, with what’s called a Red Notice. That’s a big deal. A Red Notice means other countries are asked to locate and arrest someone for serious crimes.
Ricky Patel, a top Homeland Security official, said Perez had been living near school grounds for years without facing consequences, until now. Patel called him an “alleged MS-13 associate,” which means investigators believe he has ties to the gang even if he hasn’t been convicted in the U.S.
Perez first entered the U.S. illegally through Texas in 2019. He was allowed to stay in the country while waiting for a court hearing on whether he could remain. That hearing was scheduled for February 2026. Even though he didn’t have a criminal record in the U.S., ICE says his record in El Salvador and the Red Notice were enough reason to make the arrest.
Still, some friends and neighbors say the government got it wrong. Kaylen Pentaleon, who lives near Perez, said he had a work permit and was simply trying to support his family. She described him as a kind father of two who had been living quietly in the community.
Local politicians also spoke out, saying ICE went too far by making the arrest so close to a school. Assemblyman Phil Ramos said the arrest caused fear in the mostly Hispanic neighborhood of Brentwood. “By targeting a parent at a school, ICE has not protected our community—they have terrorized it,” he said.
But ICE officials argue they followed the law. They say it was important to take Perez into custody before he could disappear or commit crimes in the U.S. again. They also stressed that Perez was not arrested inside school grounds, but during a traffic stop nearby.
This story shows how complex immigration enforcement can be. On one hand, you have a man with a serious criminal past, at least according to international authorities. On the other hand, you have a father who had lived in the U.S. for years without getting into trouble—at least not in this country.
It’s also a reminder that sometimes viral stories don’t tell the whole truth. Yes, Perez was taken away from his family. But he was also a wanted man with international charges who had entered the U.S. illegally.
As of now, Jaime Manuel Perez remains in ICE custody. He is waiting for his immigration hearing, where a judge will decide whether he should be sent back to El Salvador to face charges there.
For now, the facts are clear: ICE arrested a man who had been flagged as a fugitive by Interpol and wanted by El Salvador. Whether or not he’s guilty of those crimes, and whether he should be deported, will be decided in court. But this wasn’t just a random grab by agents on the first day of school. It was a targeted arrest of a man with a serious record—at least according to international law enforcement.