ICE detained a U.S. citizen in L.A. and charged her with obstructing an arrest
Share and Follow

A U.S. citizen who was detained by immigration agents and accused of obstructing an arrest, before her case was ultimately dismissed, said she is still traumatized by what happened.

Andrea Velez was in downtown Los Angeles on June 24 when she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. She was charged with assaulting a federal officer while he was attempting to arrest a suspect.

The Department of Justice later dismissed her case without prejudice. The agency did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday.

Velez, who works as a production coordinator for a shoe company, recalled seeing federal agents when her mother and sister dropped her off at work.

“It was like a scene,” she told NBC Los Angeles. “They were just ready to attack and chase.”

Andrea Velez was detained by federal agents in Los Angeles on June 24.
Andrea Velez was detained by federal agents in Los Angeles on June 24.Union del Barrio

Velez said she felt someone grab her and slam her to the ground. She said she tried to tell the agent, who was in plainclothes, that she was a citizen, but he told her that she “was interfering with what he was doing, so he was going to arrest me.”

“That’s when I asked him to show me his ID, his badge number,” she said. “I asked him if he had a warrant, and he said I didn’t need to know any of that.”

A federal criminal complaint alleged that an agent was chasing after a man, and Velez stepped into the agent’s path and extended her arm “in an apparent effort to prevent him from apprehending the male subject he was chasing.”

The complaint said that Velez’s arm hit the agent in the face.

Velez said she denied any wrongdoing and insisted she was a U.S. citizen. She was taken to a detention center in downtown Los Angeles where she gave officers her driver’s license and her health insurance card, but she was still booked into jail.

She said she spent two days in the detention center, where she had nothing to drink for 24 hours.

Velez said the ordeal traumatized her, and she has not been able to physically return to work.

“I’m taking things day by day,” she told the news station.

Her attorneys told NBC Los Angeles that they are exploring legal options against the federal government.

Her story echoes those of others who have said they were wrongfully detained by immigration agents under President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations.

Job Garcia, a Ph.D. student and photographer, said he was tackled and thrown to the ground by immigration agents for recording a raid at a Home Depot in Los Angeles. He was held for more than 24 hours before his release. In July, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund said it was seeking $1 million in damages, alleging that Garcia was assaulted and falsely imprisoned.

In June, a deputy U.S. marshal was briefly detained in the lobby of a federal building in Tucson, Arizona, because he “fit the general description of a subject being sought by ICE,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement.

And in May, Georgia college student Ximena Arias-Cristobal was granted bond after she was detained by immigration agents after local police pulled over the wrong car during a traffic stop.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Colorado Principal Takes Fundraising to New Heights, Literally, by Getting Taped to School Wall

In El Paso County, Colorado, an unusual scene unfolded at Pinello Elementary…
American tourist killed, another seriously injured in stabbing attack in Portugal

Tragedy in Portugal: American Tourist Killed, Another Injured in Shocking Stabbing Incident

Tragedy struck in Portugal early Wednesday when an altercation led to the…
Jacksonville's most unique grocery stores

Discover Jacksonville’s Hidden Gem Grocery Stores

If your shopping list is ready for an adventurous twist, consider exploring…
Britney Spears slams Kevin Federline for 'gaslighting' her with his book

Britney Spears Criticizes Kevin Federline for Alleged ‘Gaslighting’ in New Book Revelation

Britney Spears has responded to allegations made by her ex-husband, Kevin Federline,…
New surveillance video shows Pennsylvania governor's mansion arson attack

Shocking Surveillance Video Reveals Arson Attack at Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion

Newly released surveillance footage has surfaced, capturing an arsonist in the act…
Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel denied California parole jail release by Newsom

Governor Newsom Denies Parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, Notorious Manson Follower

California Governor Gavin Newsom has overturned a parole board’s decision to free…
Former Kenyan premier Raila Odinga, a key figure in African democracy efforts, dies at 80

Raila Odinga, Influential African Democracy Advocate and Former Kenyan Prime Minister, Passes Away at 80

NAIROBI, Kenya — Raila Odinga, the influential former prime minister of Kenya…
Hit-and-run driver refuses to apologize after victim's family fought for tougher sentence for killer

Unrepentant Hit-and-Run Driver Sparks Outrage as Victim’s Family Demands Justice with Tougher Sentencing

The family of a woman who lost her life in a hit-and-run…