On Monday, April 14, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers began tailing Marilu and Juan Mendez as they drove through New Bedford, Massachusetts.
The couple noticed they were being surrounded by ICE vehicles. When agents approached them, they repeatedly called Juan by the name “Antonio,” leading the couple to suspect it was a case of mistaken identity.
The pair immediately contacted their attorney, Ondine Galvez Sniffin, who advised them to remain inside their vehicle and not to disclose any personal information.
Despite this, ICE officers attempted to force access to Juan. Two agents reportedly smashed the car window to gain entry. Once inside, they allegedly pulled both Marilu and Juan from the car.
Marilu, who is in the United States as an asylum seeker, explained the frightening moment to Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra: “They grabbed a hammer, broke the car window, and dragged us out,” she said, according to NBC.
She added: “Three agents restrained my husband. I asked if they had a warrant to detain him—they said nothing and showed nothing. We’ve been following the rules and working with a lawyer. They had no reason to take him.”
While Marilu’s immigration status is pending, Juan is undocumented but actively working to resolve his status. Their lawyer emphasized that he has no criminal background.
Juan is currently being held at a detention facility in Dover, New Hampshire, with a court hearing set for May 7.
Their lawyer stated that her clients exercised their legal rights respectfully but were met with excessive force: “They asserted their right to remain silent and to legal counsel but were responded to with violence.”
The mayor of New Bedford, Jon Mitchell, condemned the agents’ behavior, raising concerns about ICE’s recent departure from coordinating with local police. He stressed that this breakdown in communication can escalate situations unnecessarily and called on federal authorities to provide a full explanation.
