LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a deeply unsettling incident, federal immigration agents arrested a U.S. citizen at a Home Depot store in Los Angeles, taking his vehicle with his 1-year-old daughter still inside.
Video footage released by immigrant advocates shows masked agents arresting the man in a parking lot while his daughter, strapped into a car seat, is left behind. After the arrest, the agents drove off in the vehicle, raising immediate concerns about the child's safety.
Lindsay Toczylowski, co-founder of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, confirmed that the arrested individual is a U.S. citizen. She highlighted the dangerous nature of the agents' actions, stating, “It was a dangerous act to have armed men get in a car with that child and remove her from the situation.” Family members later retrieved the child from federal offices that day.
According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials, the arrested man is under investigation for allegedly assaulting Border Patrol agents during the raid. It's reported that he threw rocks and carried a hammer as the agents conducted their operation.
The child's grandmother expressed fear upon witnessing the video. “It’s something very frightening. You don’t know who those people are,” she said, adding that the family was informed by an unknown caller about picking up the child.
Family members confirmed their U.S. citizenship and conveyed their urgency to see the father reunited with his daughter. Maria, the child's grandmother, commented on the distress caused by the incident, particularly for her granddaughter, who is asking for her father.
As of Wednesday, the father's whereabouts were still unclear, and advocates are urging federal authorities to prioritize the safety of children in similar situations.
