US citizens jailed in LA Ice raids speak out: 'They came ready to attack'

[babylonsister]

US citizens jailed in LA Ice raids speak out: ‘They came ready to attack’
Exclusive: Andrea Velez and Adrian Martinez recount their capture by immigration officers and its effects on their lives
Sam Levin in Los Angeles
Tue 5 Aug 2025 09.00 EDT



snip//

Suddenly, she recalled, one of the men slammed her to the ground and placed her into his car. The men had “Police” vests, but otherwise were in plainclothes and didn’t identify themselves. She didn’t know why they had taken her.

The men, it turned out, were Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) deportation officers. They were looking to question people about “whether they were lawfully present” in the US, an agent later wrote. Velez is a US citizen who grew up in downtown, not far from the incident.

“They just came out ready to attack anyone,” said Velez, in her first interview since her arrest. “I thought they were kidnapping me.”

A day after her arrest, the Department of Justice (DoJ) charged Velez with assaulting an officer, which could carry a 20-year sentence. The claim was shocking to Velez, who is 4ft 11in and said she had not laid hands on anyone.

more...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/us-citizens-jailed-ice-los-angeles

[yardwork]

1. This is not a constitutional democracy.

This tyranny.

[SSJVegeta]

2. From what I understand almost none of thsoe charges held muster

[sdfernando]

4. That is true but not the point

scooping up "brown" people just because some flunky/toady "officer" thought you MIGHT be undocumented is totally unconstitutional...this is an intimidation tactic and is being used to normalize what they are doing.

This country if fast sinking into fascism and I'm not sure we can stop it.

[SSJVegeta]

5. Well the fact the charges are trash gives even more credence to everything you just said

[dalton99a]

3. Kick

[róisín_dubh]

6. I hope these fuckers get doxxed and then sued...

within an inch of their worthless, fascist lives.

I have actively discouraged friends in Europe from visiting the US, never mind my friends who are from Latin America.

[maxsolomon]

7. They wear masks specifically so they aren't identified/doxxed.

I would never have thought that would be legal. I thought LEOs are supposed to be proud of the work they do.