Three Collinsville teens were detained by ICE, an incident stemming after a traffic stop in central Illinois.
Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16, was on the way to his job with two other Collinsville teens when police pulled over the trio in Christian County, according to Cruz family spokesperson Anna Marie Bell.
Cruz, along with 19-year-olds Hector Cruz Sanchez and Jonathan Godoy, are in the United States without legal status.
Bell alleges police took the vehicle the teens were in and subsequently called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pick them up to circumvent the Illinois Trust Act. The state law prohibits local law enforcement agencies from assisting federal immigration agencies with civil immigration enforcement.
"[Police] left them on the side of the road with their bags so they would look unhoused," Bell said. "That's how ICE picked them up."
The local agency that initiated the stop is currently unclear.
The Christian County Sheriff's Office, which was routed through the Morrisonville Police Department's listed number, said they did not immediately have an official to provide comment for this story.
Cruz's family declined to comment directly as they fear retaliation from the federal government. St. Louis Public Radio is not naming them for the same reason.
Bell said Cruz's aunt and uncle traveled to St. Louis in an attempt to get more information about the arrests — including who is transporting their nephew, their contact information, or who will gain custody of the teen — but were ultimately denied.
Bell equated the move to a kidnapping by the federal government.
"Now, [Cruz] is being kidnapped and taken by a family he doesn't know," she said. "And taken across multiple state borders to Texas."
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bell said Cruz-Sanchez and Godoy were transferred to the Ste. Genevieve Jail in southeastern Missouri.
"What makes this situation even more alarming is that Jesus' family has been told he will not be transported by relatives or by people known to the family," she wrote on Tuesday. "Instead, he will be turned over to individuals the family does not know and has never met."
The office of U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, confirmed the details of Bell's social media post chronicling the incident.
"We understand that one of the individuals may be just 16 years old, which raises serious concerns," said Budzinski in a written statement. "Our team is in contact with those close to the individuals and is working to gather additional information about their situation."
The arrest comes weeks after the congresswoman and U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell, D-St. Louis County, visited the Ste. Genevieve Jail. The southeastern Missouri facility is one of the few in the state that holds ICE detainees.
"As we continue to learn more," Budzinski added. "I will use every oversight tool available to demand transparency and seek answers."
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Copyright 2026 St. Louis Public Radio
