José Pineda, resident of East Boston, was intercepted in May by migratory agents while heading to his work. According to the complaint, your truck It was surrounded by vehicles without identification and armed agents on foot. There was no apparent reason for detention, except for its Latin appearance.
“I told the agents that it had legal status, but They made fun of me and they told me that, if I was not born in the United States, I have no rights”Pineda said in a LCR statement.
He details that, although he cooperated with the orders, he was arrested without any explanation and, despite carrying documents that proved his legal status, the officers handcuffed him, They confiscated their papers and US $ 600 in cashto recruit it in “a dirty and saturated cell, without access to food, hygiene or rest.”
During his arrest in the ICE office in Burlington, Massachusetts, Pineda He shared a cell with between 40 and 60 people.
“I couldn’t sit, go to bed or sleep. They didn’t let me bathe, brush my teeth or change my clothes. They gave me water in minimal quantity and the food was abundable, ”he said in the statement.
The CSF explained that was released after two daysbut confiscated money was not returned.
The case, the CSF abounded, shows a worrying pattern of illegal operations of ICE in Massachusetts, where federal agents often act without respecting state and federal laws.
Also read: Salvadoran journalist arrested in the US
“Pineda’s arrest occurred No court or official identification by the agents, ”said the organization.
The complaint, presented by the CSF, looks for a compensation for the damages suffered and hold the agents of the Customs Immigration and Control Service (ICE in English) involved.
“ICE treated me like a criminal for how I see myself and where I am, although I have followed each rule,” Pineda said.
It is a case of racial discrimination being “attacked only by its national origin,” said Victoria Miranda, lawyer of the CSF.
“The agents They confiscated his Social Security card and their work authorization, indicating that they knew their legal status at the time of arrest. This brutal indifference for civil rights has left durable trauma, and those responsible must account, ”he added.
The complaint, presented under the Federal Law of claims for grievances (FTCA, in English), is the first step towards a lawsuit in a federal district court.