On Wednesday, six people filed claims against the federal government alleging civil rights abuses and unlawful detention during the ICE raids.
“We're here to announce that we have filed government federal tort claims on behalf of 5 U.S. citizens and 1 legal permanent resident who were racially profiled by ICE and Border patrol agents in various communities in the Southland as a result of these racist racial profiling by these agents,” the group’s attorney, Michael Carrillo announced during a press conference in South Pasadena. “Each one of these citizens was caught up in the ICE raids, ICE detentions totally unlawfully.”
Among those filing the claims are Carrie Alvarado and Javier Ramirez, both U.S. citizens. ICE and Border Patrol agents arrested Alvarado on June 8th while she went to work in Hawthorne. Alvarado, who was nine months pregnant at the time, recalled officers being “very aggressive towards that area.”
“The only part that was a little painful was when they had put the chain under my belly,” she said.
Alvarado said she was shackled and chained and went into premature labor.
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Ramirez was arrested by ICE agents on June 12th at his tow yard.
“That's when one of the agents just went at me, and said, ‘You know what? Just get him. He's Mexican’,” Ramirez recalled. “At that time, I'm like, ‘What's going on? Why?’ That's why they're throwing me down to the ground. I started telling them, ‘Hey, you know what? I have my passport. I crossed the border in the morning. I was born in San Bernardino.’”
Carrillo stated that all charges against the six have been dismissed. The defendants have also filed a claim against the LAPD, saying officers aided ICE agents during the raids.
Each person is seeking a million dollars.
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