ICE Agents Break Car Window to Detain Asylum Seeker in Massachusetts/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A Guatemalan man seeking asylum was forcibly detained by ICE agents in New Bedford, Massachusetts, after they smashed his car window with a hammer. The man, Juan Francisco Mendez, was reportedly not the target of the enforcement action, according to his attorney. The incident has sparked public outrage and renewed concerns over immigration enforcement tactics under the Trump administration.
Key Developments – Quick Looks
- ICE agents detained Guatemalan asylum-seeker Juan Francisco Mendez on Monday.
- Agents smashed a car window with a hammer to extract Mendez and his wife.
- Mendez was reportedly not the target of the enforcement operation.
- His wife, Marilu Domingo Ortiz, and their son already have asylum status.
- The family says Mendez was applying for derivative asylum and has no criminal record.
- Video footage shows the moment ICE agents break into the car.
- Legal team secured a court order preventing Mendez’s transfer for 72 hours.
- New Bedford’s mayor and immigration advocates have called for investigations.
- The incident follows similar controversial ICE detentions across New England.
- ICE has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Massachusetts Family Outraged After ICE Agents Smash Car Window to Detain Guatemalan Asylum Seeker
DEEP LOOKS
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) – A Massachusetts family is demanding an explanation from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after agents forcibly detained a Guatemalan man seeking asylum by smashing the window of his car with a hammer during a traffic stop.
The man, Juan Francisco Mendez, was driving to a dental appointment in New Bedford on Monday when ICE agents surrounded the vehicle, shattered the passenger window, and removed him and his wife, Marilu Domingo Ortiz, from the car. The entire incident was captured on video by Ortiz and has since gone viral, raising fresh concerns about ICE’s aggressive enforcement tactics under the Trump administration.
Not the Intended Target, Lawyers Say
According to Ondine Galvez-Sniffin, an attorney representing Mendez, agents initially said they were looking for someone else before forcibly detaining her client.
“They claimed they were searching for another man with a different name,” Galvez-Sniffin told the Associated Press. “Juan was pulled from the car despite providing documentation that he had applied for asylum.”
Galvez-Sniffin described arriving at the scene to find Ortiz sobbing and shaking, with broken glass scattered across the back seat. She said Mendez shouted “Help me!” in Spanish as agents drove away with him in handcuffs.
A Family in Legal Limbo
Ortiz and her 9-year-old son have already been granted asylum status due to fears of persecution if they return to Guatemala. Mendez was in the process of filing for derivative asylum, a legal mechanism that allows family members of asylees to obtain the same protection.
“We came here to do honest work and raise our family,” Ortiz said through a translator. “What they’re doing to us is not fair.”
Ortiz added that the traumatic experience has already affected their son’s well-being.
“He has stopped eating because of the stress,” she said. “We just want my husband back.”
Legal Protection Granted – For Now
Attorney Ryan Sullivan, who also represents Mendez, said a federal judge in New Hampshire has issued an order requiring ICE to provide 72 hours’ notice before relocating Mendez. He is currently believed to be held at a detention facility in Dover, New Hampshire.
“This order gives us time to explore our legal options,” Sullivan said.
Local Officials Demand Accountability
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the incident raises serious concerns, especially regarding communication between federal and local authorities.
“This incident raises questions that require clear answers, including why local police were not notified beforehand,” Mitchell said. “Are ICE agents truly targeting dangerous criminals—or are they conducting indiscriminate arrests based on immigration status?”
Mendez’s Legal Record and Employment History
Mendez, who has been in the United States for four years, worked in the seafood industry in New Bedford and has no criminal record, according to Galvez-Sniffin. She said he was fingerprinted in December as part of his asylum application, and nothing of concern turned up.
“He was following the legal process,” she said. “There was absolutely no justification for the force used or the way his family was treated.”
Broader Concerns About ICE Tactics
This is not the first recent incident involving controversial ICE operations in New England:
- In March, ICE agent Brian Sullivan detained Wilson Martell-Lebron, 49, outside a Boston courthouse. A judge later held Sullivan in contempt, calling the detention a violation of due process.
- A video of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, being detained by ICE also caused public outcry. In the footage, Ozturk is seen surrounded by agents, screaming as her phone is taken and she is handcuffed. Her lawyers have filed for her release.
ICE Remains Silent
Despite multiple requests for comment, ICE has not responded to questions about the incident in New Bedford or provided any clarification on why Mendez was targeted.
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