ICE Detains Landscaper After He Runs Into Surgery Center—Staff Push Back in Viral Video

A recent incident at a Southern California surgical center has brought renewed attention to the intersection of immigration enforcement and healthcare settings. Staff members at the Ontario facility stood their ground when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entered to detain landscaper, Dennis Guillen, working on the premises, repeatedly demanding to see a warrant before any action was taken.

"You guys need a warrant to come in here," staff members insisted in video footage that has since circulated widely online. Despite these objections, the agents proceeded with the detention of the landscaper, creating a tense standoff that raises important questions for healthcare professionals about rights and responsibilities in such situations.

This case raises complex questions, as the person targeted for detention wasn’t a patient at the facility—they were a landscaper working on-site.

About The Detained Landscaper, Dennis Guillen

The landscaper detained by ICE at the Ontario Advanced Surgery Center was Dennis Guillen (also reported as Denis Guillen-Solis), a 30-year-old Honduran national. He was working as a landscaper outside the building when ICE agents arrived to serve warrants for two undocumented men. 

Why Dennis Guillen Detained?

Some information has been released about Dennis Guillen's immigration status and detainment: 

• ICE claims they had warrants for two undocumented men at the location.
• When agents arrived, Guillen ran into the surgical center, prompting agents to follow him inside.
• Local advocates and witnesses say there was no criminal warrant for Guillen’s arrest, and that he does not have a criminal record.
• Guillen has reportedly been in the U.S. for about three years, working to support his sick mother in Honduras.

Of the three landscapers present, Guillen was reportedly the only one detained; the other two had legal status and were released.

Further details:

After his detention, Guillen was held at the federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles.

Advocates have raised concerns about the legality and conduct of the ICE operation, especially given the lack of a criminal record and the setting of the arrest.

Homeland Security Response

According to the Department of Homeland Security post on X, this was part of a "targeted operation" to arrest individuals they identified as being in the country illegally.

No clinic staff were detained in the incident, though DHS accused them of interfering with the arrest by demanding to see a warrant, locking doors, and calling police to report a possible kidnapping. 

Can ICE Enter Medical Facilities?

Questions arise about this incident and the fact that the landscaper who was detained was not a patient of the facility, but was inside the facility. Several changes have been made regarding “sensitive locations”, including medical facilities and hospitals, for immigration enforcement in 2025. In 2011, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a memo designating hospitals, schools, places of worship, and similar sites as "sensitive locations." Under this policy, ICE agents were instructed to avoid enforcement actions—such as arrests or evidence collection—at these facilities except in rare, urgent situations or with special prior approval. 

However, in January 2025, this sensitive locations policy was officially rescinded by the Department of Homeland Security. The change means hospitals and other previously protected sites are no longer categorically shielded from ICE operations. Agents now have broader discretion to conduct enforcement actions in these locations without the special restrictions that were in place for over a decade. While agents still need a judicial warrant to enter non-public areas of hospitals, and privacy laws like HIPAA remain in effect, the formal protections that once limited ICE activity in healthcare settings have been removed, fundamentally altering the landscape for both patients and providers.

• Hospitals are no longer formally protected as "sensitive locations" from ICE enforcement.
• ICE agents may conduct enforcement actions in hospitals without the special restrictions that were in place from 2011–2024.

Javier Hernandez, executive director of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, affirmed the surgical center staff's actions, stating, "This is private property. They had every right to ask, 'Who are you? Show us your badge'". 

For nurses, maintaining awareness of both legal rights and ethical obligations can help navigate these complex situations. As this case continues to generate discussion among healthcare professionals, it may prompt more facilities to develop clear protocols for staff to follow when law enforcement agencies request access to clinical spaces, ensuring both legal compliance and protection of the healthcare environment.

This is a developing story. Nurse.org will update this article as more details are released. 

🤔 Nurses, what would you do if ICE entered your facility without a warrant? Tell us your thoughts in the discussion forum below.