On the late morning of Thursday, August 21, 2025, our dad, Benigno Gonzalez Ponce, was detained by ICE during a raid at La Cienega Car Wash (1907 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles). Around 11:50 AM, 7–8 unmarked SUVs including a Dodge Durango, Dodge Charger, and Nissan Pathfinder pulled into the lot. Agents in green uniforms vests stormed the private property and detained eight people, including our dad.

He was simply at work, doing what he does every day showing up early, working hard, and providing for his family. While vacuuming a customer’s car, he was suddenly taken without warning. Some of his co-workers managed to escape only by locking themselves in a bathroom. They gave us his belongings, but no one knew where he had been taken.

For hours, we lived in fear and uncertainty. It wasn’t until later that evening that we finally received a call from him, the first moment we knew he was alive and safe. He told us he had been taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center B18 facility in Downtown Los Angeles.

Our world has been turned upside down. Our dad is the heart of our family, a loving father of four, the main provider for our household, and a man of integrity who has always led with love, kindness, and good morals. He has no criminal history and has always been a hardworking, peaceful, and honest man. We cannot imagine our lives without him, and we will not stop fighting until he is home where he belongs.

All we ask is for your prayers, for you to share our story, and, if you are able, to donate to our GoFundMe. Every contribution, no matter the amount, will go directly toward legal fees and essential household expenses as we fight for his release.

We are so deeply grateful for your support during this painful and uncertain time. Please help us bring our dad home.

Zelle: 3238479676