Massachusetts mother alleges ICE agents used excessive force on her in front of son with autism
Chaotic moments captured on video last Friday that appear to show Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pushing a Chelsea, Massachusetts, woman to the ground during an arrest.
See the story in the video above
Hilda Ramirez says ICE agents smashed the windows, dragging her, her two brothers-in-law, and her 13-year-old son, who has autism, out of the vehicle.
An ICE spokesperson says they were targeting one of the brother-in-laws, Jose Ramirez-Perez.
They say he is in the United States illegally and is facing child sex abuse charges out of Guatemala.
Hilda Ramirez, who's been living legally in the country for the last two decades, says she and her family were on their way to Chelsea District Court for a non-immigration-related court appearance when they were pulled over by ICE.
Ramirez claims the agents never identified themselves or produced a warrant.
"They were forcing me onto the fence, where, also, my son was — he was watching all of this," Ramirez said. "He was scared, and I was scared because I didn't know what they were going to do to me."
Cellphone video shows masked agents bringing Ramirez to the ground.
"They grabbed me by two hands, twisted my hand around, it hurt really bad," she said. "I kept telling them that it was hurting, that I needed help."
On Monday, Ramirez showed the bruises on her arms and her wrist in a brace.
In a statement, an ICE spokesperson said, "The driver and passenger refused to comply with officer commands. Our officers used the appropriate amount of force necessary to make the arrest."
Ramirez was critical of the agents, saying they're doing more harm than good.
"We understand if you're trying to make a community safe, but right now, you're putting everyone in danger," she said. "You're not doing everything correctly."
Ramirez says the agents let her go after reviewing her immigration documents, but she does not know where her brother-in-law is.
At last check, it looked like he had been taken to a detention facility in Texas.
