A video that appears to show federal immigration agents ramming an immigrant rights activist’s truck with a vehicle has sparked controversy and public outrage in Oxnard, a farming town that is often the target of immigration raids.
The dispute centers on claims by federal agents that the activist was the aggressor who rammed their vehicle.
The incident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers notified the Oxnard Police Department that their vehicle had been struck by a civilian vehicle near the intersection of 8th and A Streets, according to Sgt. Martin Cook.
“We responded, ICE agents detained an individual and a crowd began to gather,” Cook said. “We were there to keep the peace and prevent any type of altercation with ICE or any other federal agency.”
Cook said federal agencies took over the investigation. He did not know whether people arrested by agents requested police reports and referred all questions to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees agencies including ICE and Customs and Border Protection.
Migrant rights group VC Defensa, which has been documenting immigration raids in the region, said Instagram The group confirmed that one of its volunteers, identified by the group as Leo Martinez, had been arrested.
The group also released videos taken by witnesses that they said showed federal agents’ charges against Martinez were false.
“While Leo was exercising his right to observe ICE activities, ICE intentionally rammed Leo’s truck and blocked his exit,” the group said in its Instagram post.
The video begins with a Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows following a dark gray truck before slamming into the driver’s side passenger door. The truck driver then drove into a dirt field, where the group said Martinez was arrested.
“This shameful escalation by ICE is nothing more than an attempt to intimidate conscientious people who stand up against Trump’s attacks on immigrants,” the group said on Instagram. “We will not be intimidated and we will continue to keep our communities safe.”
The incident is the latest controversy involving federal immigration agents, sparking outrage from activists and residents and calling into question some of the agents’ previous claims.
Two months ago, federal immigration officials stopped Francisco Longoria in San Bernardino. Longoria, who was in the truck with his 18-year-old son and 23-year-old son-in-law during the encounter, said he feared for their safety and drove off after masked police officers smashed his window and opened fire. Did some laps on the truck.
During the confrontation, Longoria tried to “knock them over,” causing one officer to “fire in self-defense,” injuring the officer, DHS officials said.
Longoria’s attorneys argued that their client had injured police officers or attempted to assault them and had Calls for investigation into shooting.
June, Arturo Hermosillo Accused of ramming federal agent’s vehicle with truck That’s when agents directed him to move the van back to make room for an ambulance to a woman injured during an immigration clearance.
Hermosillo was backing up his vehicle when he said a federal agent standing near the vehicle pushed his rearview mirror, blocking his view; Hermosillo then crashed into a car behind him. Agents pulled him from the van a short time later.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of Homeland Security, told The Times in an email at the time that during the June 19 operation, someone “rammed their vehicle into a law enforcement vehicle.”
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have also been assaulted and verbally harassed during operations,” she said.
Videos from that day did not capture any of the attacks; they showed residents yelling at agents.
The events in Oxnard echoed attacks by federal agents on the streets of Chicago.
A Chicago-area mayor says ICE agents used excessive force while making arrests at a cemetery. A priest protesting at a detention center was hit in the head with a pepper ball. A man troubled by conflicts between agents and the public A federal judge is considering ordering agents to wear body cameras.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment from The New York Times. However, the department said in a statement to CNN that suggestions that the agency is using “tougher tactics” “slanders” federal agents who “risk their lives every day to enforce the law.”
In downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, people gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, holding signs that read “Free Leo Now!” and “ICE out of LA,” as the crowd listened to Martinez speak and thank them for their support and work.
“I know I didn’t do anything wrong; that’s why they released me on pending charges,” he told the crowd. “They do this to a lot of our volunteers because we did nothing wrong.
“They hit me,” he continued, as the crowd applauded. “Then they try to accuse me of assaulting them, what kind of bullshit is that – huh?”
