Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16, in a family photo. Officials say he was taken and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 9, 2026, in Morrisonville, Illinois. Courtesy of family of Jesus Alexis CruzThree Madison County teens have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, according to family members and elected officials.Family members and friends of the family said 16-year-old Jesus Alexis Cruz, 19-year-old Hector Cruz Sanchez, and 19-year-old Jonathan Godoy were detained during a stop conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to a call and email to The Telegraph on Tuesday evening. All three teens lived in Collinsville at the time of their detention.Article continues below this adOfficials in the office of U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski confirmed the details of the detention on Tuesday evening."Today, our office learned that three Collinsville residents were detained by ICE while on their way to work," Budzinski said in a statement to The Telegraph. "We understand that one of the individuals may be just 16 years old, which raises serious concerns."Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., questions Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack during the House Agriculture Committee hearing on the agriculture department in Longworth Building on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagBudzinski said her team is in contact with those closest to the three teens and that her staff is working to gather more information about their situation. Article continues below this ad"This news comes just two weeks after my visit to the Ste. Genevieve detention facility, where many individuals from Southern Illinois detained by ICE are often transferred," Budzinski said. "As we continue to learn more, I will use every oversight tool available to demand transparency and seek answers."Family members of the 16-year-old boy have asked that some identifying information be omitted from publication while the family works with leaders to get their child back home. A post matching the family’s press statement was also shared by the Madison County Democratic Party ahead of publication.Illinois teen in ICE custody is transferred to TexasAnna Marie Bell, a family friend assisting relatives in connecting with Budzinski’s office, said the three detainees were transferred from a traffic stop in Morrisonville, Illinois, to the St. Louis ICE office on Tuesday, creating significant challenges for the 16-year-old stuck in ICE custody.Article continues below this ad"The two adults have already been taken on their way to Ste. Genevieve," Bell said during a phone interview. "Jesus (Cruz) was supposed to be eligible for pick up, but they wouldn't let his family members — who I believe are documented, his aunt and uncle — go get him."According to a press statement from the family, shared in part by Bell on Tuesday, a request to release the minor to family custody was denied, and "according to information confirmed by both the family and Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski's office, Jesus is being transported to a detention facility in Texas tonight.""Jesus' family has been told he will not be transported by relatives or by people known to the family," the family's statement continues, "Instead, he will be turned over to individuals the family does not know and has never met."According to the family, Cruz is being transferred to a center in Texas despite family efforts to get him released.Article continues below this adJesus Cruz custody: Nikki Budzinski works to seek answersICE agents protect vehicles entering the Delaney Hall Immigration Detention Center on June 7, 2026, in Newark, New Jersey. Adam Gray/Getty ImagesBudzinski’s office has been involved in the case and is actively working to help the families involved. However, challenges in transferring and communicating with Cruz have further delayed efforts to secure his release from custody."The family and advocates are still seeking basic answers about his custody, transportation, and access to legal paperwork," the family statement said. "Instead, a child from Collinsville is being taken across multiple state lines while relatives who are present, documented, and willing to care for him are left searching for answers."Article continues below this adOfficials in Budzinski’s office have repeatedly said privacy forms are among the few ways congressional leaders can interact with detainees. They have also said they are hesitant to release any public information about detainees while they are working to get them returned to their families."Jesus is not a case number," the family statement said. "He is a teenager with family waiting for him. His loved ones deserve answers, transparency, and the opportunity to care for him."Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16, in a family photo. Officials say he was taken and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 9, 2026, in Morrisonville, Illinois. Courtesy, Family of Jesus Alexis CruzJune 9, 2026Staff WriterIvy Lyons is a native of the Metro East and a media researcher covering Alton and East Alton communities for The Telegraph. Lyons joined the paper after years working in broadcast news operations across the Washington, D.C. metro area, producing media scholarship and keeping close to the communities they cover.