U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is under heavy fire after a video surfaced showing what appears to be an unconscious man holding a child during an arrest.
The footage, obtained by the Boston Globe, captures the tense scene inside a vehicle in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, on Nov. 6.
A disturbing video showing what appears to be an unconscious man holding a child during an ICE arrest has sparked major outrage across the U.S.
In the footage obtained by the Boston Globe, a woman in the passenger seat — identified as Juliana Mlena Ojeda-Montoya — is seen frantically trying to wake up Carlos Sebastian Zapata, who appears unconscious in the driver’s seat, while a crying child sits between them. Off-camera, voices can be heard shouting, “He’s having a seizure.”
Nearby, an officer is seen trying to remove the passengers from the vehicle as someone yells, “They’re trying to rip the baby out of his hand.”
ICE later issued a statement pushing back against how the video was portrayed, claiming it did not reflect what actually happened. Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, wrote on social media that emergency responders “found no legitimate medical episode” at the scene and said the family declined medical attention.
The Department of Homeland Security also made a controversial post about the incident, writing, “Imagine FAKING a seizure to help a criminal escape justice.”
Zapata told the Boston Globe that he lost consciousness because he believed ICE agents were trying to detain his wife. “I wasn’t letting go of my wife because they wanted to take her away,” he said. He also alleged that agents pushed him, struck him in the ribs, and pressed on his neck, causing him to experience convulsions.
ICE confirmed that Ojeda-Montoya was the target of the arrest due to an outstanding warrant for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
The arrest comes amid mounting backlash toward President Trump’s administration and its aggressive immigration enforcement. Among the voices condemning the Department of Homeland Security is Olivia Rodrigo, who recently called them out after her song “all american bitch” was used in a video urging immigrants to “self-deport” or “face the consequences.”
“Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,” Rodrigo wrote.
