A woman filmed herself trying to stop ICE agents as they took a mother into custody in Los Angeles, claiming they needed an order signed by a superior court judge, and demanding to see the paperwork.
“Show me the order!” Alicia Rivera demands of ICE agents in the viral video, as they prepare to drive off in their white SUV with a neighbor who is reportedly a permanent resident who has lived in the United States since she was 3 years old.
Rivera repeatedly insists that the ICE officers need an order signed by a judge from a superior court, at one point standing in front of the ICE vehicle, saying she will stop the agents.
ICE did not respond to the specific incident but issued a statement saying that the requirement of a judicial warrant for immigration violations was a“figment” dreamed up by those who “wish to undermine immigration enforcement.”
The video has gone viral after being picked up by both detractors of ICE, and those who support enforcement of border policies.
Her video gained moderate traction after she posted it to her Facebook page, where some people accused her of interfering in the lawful activities of ICE agents. An annotated copy of the video was posted to the Occupy Democrat Facebook page, where it clocked up nearly a million hits within a day.
Rivera is heard in the video trying to stop the agents from taking the woman.
“Ma'am, who are you?” asks one officer, as Rivera continues to insist that the ICE agents do not possess an order signed by a judge from the superior court. The ICE officers establish that she is not a family member, and refuse to allow her to see the paperwork.
As two ICE officers examine their paperwork together, Rivera walks around behind and tries to catch the paperwork on camera. The officers shut the clipboard.
“I’m going to be in front of the car, and you can’t take her,” Rivera says as the ICE agents prepare to leave.
As Rivera turns to talk to a passerby, the vehicle simply backs away. Rivera stays where she is, and the vehicle turns around further down the street and heads off.
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIR) is taking on the case, to set an example, according to ABC.
ICE did, however, issue the following in a statement, according to the news outlet: “Congress has established no process, requirement, or expectation directing ICE to seek a judicial warrant from already overburdened federal courts before taking custody of an alien on civil immigration violations. This idea is simply a figment created by those who wish to undermine immigration enforcement and excuse the ill-conceived practices of sanctuary jurisdictions that put politics before public safety.”
She told them she had been a permanent resident for years, and she applied for citizenship 6 months ago. But when she went for her appointment with immigration officers, they told her they lost her paperwork.
According to CBS, Rivera said that the father said the woman had a marijuana possession charge from when she was in her 20s. They believe that the application for citizenship may have flagged that charge, sparking the raid.
