ICE Detention of Mother Linked to 21-Year-Old’s Suicide

Samuel Gonzalez Terrones, a 21-year-old Rialto resident diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia, died by suicide on Aug. 12, 2026, after his mother was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to coroner records and family statements reported by the Los Angeles Times. His death highlights the severe psychological toll that family separations and immigration enforcement actions can inflict on vulnerable relatives left behind.

The Arrest of Minerva Terrones Dominguez and Samuel’s Declining Mental Health

In May 2026, Samuel Gonzalez Terrones began seeing a therapist and taking medication to manage newly intensified bouts of depression and schizophrenia. His older sister, Sari Gonzalez, told the Los Angeles Times that their mother, 54-year-old Minerva Terrones Dominguez, acted as Samuel’s primary anchor during severe psychological crises.

On a June day in 2026, federal immigration agents arrested Terrones Dominguez at a San Bernardino bus stop as she traveled to a grocery store, detaining her for being in the country illegally. According to a federal court petition cited by the Los Angeles Times, agents stopped her because she allegedly “looked like someone” they were seeking, and mocked her upon finding her EBT card. Attorney Arturo Burga noted that Terrones Dominguez had lived in the U.S. for 33 years without a criminal record or prior removal proceedings.

Family Strain and the Final Legal Effort

Following the detention, Samuel’s father and siblings picked up extra shifts at work to fund an immigration lawyer’s retainer. Because his mental health conditions prevented him from maintaining steady employment, Samuel spent long stretches alone at home in Rialto. Sari Gonzalez recalled, My mom was the one who would take care of him when he would have those bad thoughts.

Attorney Arturo Burga had prepared a legal pathway known as cancellation of removal, which would have secured Terrones Dominguez’s permanent residence by proving her deportation would cause extreme hardship to her U.S. citizen son, Samuel. However, the family never managed to file the paperwork before Samuel’s death.

Tragedy at the San Bernardino Railroad Crossing

At 3:55 a.m. on Aug. 12, 2026, San Bernardino police officers responded to a railroad crossing where Samuel Gonzalez Terrones was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a county coroner’s release. Before his death, Samuel left a letter addressing his mother’s detention. To the ICE agent who took away my mother: I hope it was worth it, Samuel wrote in an excerpt shared with the Los Angeles Times. I can’t handle anymore injustices in this world.

Immigration advocates report instances of psychological distress and suicide linked to aggressive enforcement actions, pointing to parallel incidents including a 20-year-old Haitian man in Springfield, Ohio, who died after losing his Temporary Protected Status and receiving an ICE ankle monitor. An Associated Press investigation from May 2026 recorded at least 10 detainee suicides since President Trump took office, outpacing population growth in detention facilities. ICE did not respond to requests for comment regarding Samuel’s death.