The family of a 32 -year -old American citizen said he was unfairly arrested by immigration and customs agents and falsely accused of “obstructing the officers for a raid during a raid in immigration in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.
Andrea Velez appeared in the Federal Court on Thursday accused of assaulting a federal officer while trying to arrest a suspect and was released on bail of $ 5,000. She did not declare in a plea and expires to the Court on July 17.
The arrest occurs when ICE and other federal agents have arrested thousands of people, many of whom have not committed any crime. President Donald Trump promised the application of aggressive immigration and mass deportations as part of his campaign platform.
Vélez’s sister, Star Rosas, and her mother saw the incident developing moments after leaving Velez in 9th and Main Street, where she works as a marketing designer. Rosas said he saw the officers throw Vélez on the ground and then put it in an unmarked vehicle.
“We leave my sister to go to work as always.
Rosas recorded her and her mother’s reaction while looking at the arrest. “That is my sister. They are taking her. Help her, someone. He is a American citizen,” says Rosas in the video.
The union group of the neighborhood, which supports Latin American and Mexican communities, published an Instagram video that shows four officers stopping someone on the ground on the scene.
Tricia McLaughlin, Undersecretary of Public Affairs in the Department of National Security, said in a statement that Vélez was arrested for “preventing an arrest after she strongly obstructed an ice officer by making physical contact with him.”
Luis Hipolito was also arrested at the same time for allegedly assaulting an ice officer, he said. McLaughlin said that both he and Vélez “avoided that ICE police arrest abroad abroad target of their operation.”
“Secretary Noem has been clear: if you put a hand on an agent of the law, it will be processed to the maximum extension of the law,” said McLaughin. He added, without citing evidence or a time frame, that ice officers face a 500% increase in assaults.
A criminal complaint alleges that Vélez “entered the path of an officer and extended one of his arms in an apparent effort to prevent him from stopping a suspicious man who was chasing and that Velez’s extended arm hit that officer in his face.”
But Vélez and his family dispute this and are considering launching a civil lawsuit against federal officers.
“Andrea is a victim of excessive use of force by federal agents, they had no right to stop her and no right to overcome her. What you see in the videos is police brutality,” said Luis Carillo, a lawyer from Velez, to NBC Los Angeles.
The LAPD said it was called to the scene in response to a report of a kidnapping in progress by people who would not identify, but the officers arrived to find a federal operation. Police said they had no prior knowledge of the operation and that, although the crowd “stirred more and more,” they did not arrest.
The statement mentioned the arrest of a woman, who believes she was Vélez, but did not mention her by name or mention any alleged assault.
“At one time, a partially handcuffed woman approached and found himself near a LAPD officer. After several minutes, a federal agent approached and assumed the control of the woman. LAPD was not involved in her arrest or arrest,” said the police statement.
Rosas, who is also an American citizen, said his older sister is a cal Poly graduate and has never had problems with the law.
“When I saw the videos, they made me feel really annoying,” he said. “I am an American citizen, my sister is an American citizen and we have rights and violated their rights, so it does not make me sure that they will protect or respect my rights.”
