“ICE Cruelty is Indefensible” says LatinoJustice About Violent Encounter Between ICE Agents and Immigrant Family at Immigration Court
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2025
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“ICE Cruelty is Indefensible” says LatinoJustice About Violent Encounter Between ICE Agents and Immigrant Family at Immigration Court
New York, NY – Press reports of a recording showing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent violently throwing a woman to the ground at immigration court offices at 26 Federal Plaza were issued Thursday afternoon.
The woman, the wife of an Ecuadorian man who had just been taken into custody by masked agents before the incident happened, had to be taken to the hospital to tend to her injuries in the incident. The video shows her being thrown to the ground as she pleaded with agents to take her in addition to her husband.
The following statement can be attributed to Rex Chen, Supervising Counsel of Immigrant Rights, LatinoJustice PRLDEF:
“What unfolded at 26 Federal Plaza was horrifying. Instead of showing basic compassion, the agent dismissed the woman with ‘adiós, adiós,’ then escalated, swatting her hands, shoving her, and violently throwing her to the ground in front of her children. These children, already traumatized after seeing their father’s violent arrest by masked agents, cried out as their mother lay injured.
“This cruelty is indefensible. Immigrant families deserve dignity, respect, and due process, not brutality in the very halls of immigration court where they seek justice. No family should ever endure such terror at the hands of government officials. Our communities are mothers, fathers, and children who deserve safety, justice, and compassion. LatinoJustice will not tolerate this violence and will continue fighting to ensure our communities are treated with humanity.”
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About LatinoJustice
LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education. For over 50 years, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has acted as an advocate against injustices throughout the country. To learn more about LatinoJustice, visit www.LatinoJustice.org