ICE detains a U.S. citizen in L.A. and fees her with obstructing an arrest
The household of a 32-year-old U.S. citizen mentioned she was wrongfully detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers and falsely accused of “forcefully obstructing” officers throughout an immigration raid in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday morning.
Andrea Velez appeared in federal courtroom Thursday charged with assaulting a federal officer whereas he was trying to arrest a suspect and was launched on $5,000 bail. She didn’t enter a plea and is due again in courtroom on July 17.
The arrest comes as ICE and different federal brokers have arrested 1000’s of individuals, lots of whom haven’t dedicated any crimes. President Donald Trump promised aggressive immigration enforcement and mass deportations as a part of his marketing campaign platform.
Velez’s sister, Estrella Rosas, and their mom noticed the incident unfold moments after dropping Velez off at ninth and Fundamental Road, the place she works as a advertising designer. Rosas mentioned she noticed officers throw Velez to the bottom after which put her in an unmarked automobile.
“We dropped off my sister to go to work like we all the time do. Abruptly, my mother within the rearview mirror, she noticed how a person went on high of her. Principally, dropped her on the ground and began placing her in handcuffs and making an attempt to arrest her,” Rosas informed NBC Los Angeles.
Rosas recorded her and her mom’s response whereas watching the arrest. “That’s my sister. They’re taking her. Assist her, somebody. She’s a U.S. citizen,” Rosas says within the video.
The Union Del Barrio group, which helps Latin American and Mexican communities, posted video to Instagram that exhibits 4 officers detaining somebody on the bottom on the scene.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs on the Division of Homeland Safety, mentioned in a press release that Velez was arrested for “impeding an arrest after she forcefully obstructed an ICE officer by making bodily contact with him.”
Luis Hipolito was additionally arrested on the identical time for allegedly assaulting an ICE officer, she mentioned. McLaughlin mentioned each he and Velez “stored ICE regulation enforcement from arresting the goal unlawful alien of their operation.”
“Secretary Noem has been clear: in the event you lay a hand on a regulation enforcement officer, you can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the regulation,” McLaughin mentioned. She added, with out citing proof nor a timeframe, that ICE officers face a 500% improve in assaults.
A legal criticism alleges that Velez “stepped into an officer’s path and and prolonged one in all her arms in an obvious effort to stop him from apprehending a male suspect he was chasing and that Velez’s outstretched arm struck that officer within the face.”
However Velez and her household dispute this and are contemplating launching a civil lawsuit towards the federal officers.
“Andrea is a sufferer of extreme use of power by federal brokers, that they had no proper to cease her and no proper to beat her. What you see within the movies is police brutality,” Luis Carillo, Velez’s legal professional, informed NBC Los Angeles.
The LAPD mentioned it was referred to as to the scene in response to a report of a kidnapping in progress by people who would not establish themselves, however officers arrived to discover a federal operation. The police mentioned that they had no prior data of the operation and that whereas the gang turned “more and more agitated,” they made no arrests.
The assertion talked about the arrest of a girl, considered Velez, however didn’t point out her by title nor point out any alleged assault.
“At one level, {a partially} handcuffed lady approached and stood close to a LAPD officer. After a number of minutes, a Federal agent approached and assumed management of the lady. LAPD was not concerned in her detention or arrest,” the police assertion mentioned.
Rosas, who can also be a U.S. citizen, mentioned her older sister is a graduate of Cal Poly and has by no means been in hassle with the regulation.
“After I noticed the movies, they made me really feel actually upset,” she mentioned. “I’m a U.S. citizen, my sister is a U.S. citizen and now we have rights and so they violated her rights, so it doesn’t make me really feel safe that they’re going to guard or respect my rights.”