Juanita Avila later helped expose ICE’s ‘arrest first, justify later’ tactics in a lawsuit that won a major victory for immigrants’ rights

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/44121230

March 6, 2026

The moment 19-year-old Emely Agustin spotted the group of masked immigration agents tackling a woman facedown on the pavement, her heart dropped.

She saw the woman’s red jacket.

“Oh my fucking God. That’s my mom!” she screamed.

It was the morning of 5 November in Cottage Grove, in central Oregon, and masked officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had dragged Juanita Avila out of her van. The agents pinned her down as she cried out for her daughter, who started filming. Juanita, a 47-year-old legal permanent resident, had her green card in her pocket, but officers handcuffed and detained her.

  • Sludgehammer@lemmy.worldEnglish
    48·
    11 hours ago

    Of course they didn’t care, they have a arrest quota to fill. The fact that they’re arresting innocent people that will later be released at great cost for the government doesn’t matter, we must have action for actions sake.