Rafael Vela, a 64-to-66-year-old man from El Salvador who fled the country's civil war at 19 and had lived in California for over four decades, was detained by federal agents outside his Silver Lake home on January 7, 2026. Video footage showed masked agents dragging him down his concrete doorstep steps and handcuffing him before removing him in an unmarked vehicle. Vela had served as full-time caretaker for his partner of more than 30 years, 81-year-old U.S. citizen Vivian Lee Arguello, who has mobility issues, and was known in his neighborhood for decades of volunteer handyman work. His attorney says he obtained temporary residency under the 1986 amnesty program but was never notified to apply for permanent status before it expired, and after losing his card in 2023, a 2025 replacement request was denied, leading to his detention. After nearly eight months at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, he developed sores, swollen feet, and difficulty walking, and was hospitalized for acute bronchitis and sepsis in June after collapsing in his cell. A judge denied his bond request in July citing flight risk, and his attorney filed an appeal in August. Arguello has had to sell their home, move in with relatives, and rehome their dog, while neighbors held a vigil and raised nearly $50,000 for the family.