Mother of 8 detained after reporting sexual harassment by ICE contractor, family claims retaliation
By Peyton Headlee
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SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. (KCRA) — Silvia Reyna Mendoza, a mother who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 40 years, is currently in ICE detention in Kern County, California, after her family claims she was retaliated against for reporting sexual harassment by an ICE contractor.
Reyna Mendoza arrived in the U.S. from Mexico as a teenager. Her family said she was fleeing domestic violence. Over the last 40 years, she has raised eight children here.
“She’s a caring woman, and anyone that crosses paths with her easily will become her friend,” her daughter Patrisia Reyna said.
“She raised us with good morals and intentions and treating others right,” her son Francisco Govea added.
Her children are all U.S. citizens, but she herself is not. Reyna Mendoza has spent years navigating the immigration process in Sacramento. Her status required monitoring by ICE through its contractor, BI Incorporated.
“She goes there every other month. One time it’ll be in person, the other it’ll be over the phone like a video chat,” Reyna explained.
Court documents state that BI required her to periodically report to a case specialist.
In 2023, the documents claim her fight for citizenship was derailed. A civil lawsuit claims her specialist, Luis Ruiz, “engaged in severe and pervasive sexual harassment, including requesting sexual favors and sending her sexually explicit text messages and videos.”
He allegedly said things like “If you’re good to me, I’ll be good to you.”
Her daughter expressed feeling anxious and hopeless, wanting to do more for her mother but knowing she was scared and had concerns about retaliation, specifically being detained by ICE.
Despite these concerns, the lawsuit states that Reyna Mendoza reported Ruiz to another specialist and a supervisor in November 2024.
Court documents claim the supervisor, Montserrat Esquivel, deleted the text messages and videos from Ruiz from her phone. However, the lawsuit also says Reyna Mendoza had already saved copies of some of the evidence.
“It’s really hard when you’re trying to speak up to the authorities of what’s going on and they dismiss it. Who do you ask for help at that point?” Govea said.
The lawsuit alleges there was no follow-up from BI following her sexual harassment complaint. Instead, it alleges they began requiring her to wear an ankle monitor in March, and in September, she was detained by ICE.
Her children said they believe she was detained in retaliation.
KCRA 3 reached out to BI about the allegations. Christopher V. Ferreira, Director of Corporate Relations for The Geo Group, the parent company of BI, sent an emailed statement:
“BI takes all allegations of sexual abuse and harassment with the utmost seriousness. We have a zero-tolerance policy as it relates to such matters and take steps to ensure a thorough investigation of all related complaints. BI stands by our provision of high-quality support services to the Department of Homeland Security in accordance with all established federal standards.”
Meanwhile, Reyna Mendoza is being held at a corrections center in California City.
“I can hear in her voice—she’s scared, she’s depressed, she’s anxious,” Govea said.
Her children said they are now focused on fighting for their mother and wondering when and where they will see her again.
“She’s the center of our community. I mean, if they don’t care about illegal immigrants… it’s like what about the rest of my siblings? We’re all Americans contributing to society. Like, do you care about us? Where do you draw the fine line? I just don’t understand,” Govea said.
A spokesperson with the Sacramento Police Department confirmed that a criminal report was filed against Ruiz but could not share further details.
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