Jensy Machado, a U.S. citizen and self-described Trump supporter, found himself in a startling situation when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stopped him in Manassas, Virginia. The incident occurred during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in the area. Machado was driving to work when agents approached him, seeking proof of identity.
The agents, targeting Hispanic individuals, requested Machado’s Virginia driver’s license. Despite Machado's assertions that he was not the man they were searching for, the agents insisted on detaining him. The agents informed Machado that the name of a man with a deportation order matched his, and they also had his home address. This encounter raised questions about the accuracy of their targeting methods.
Machado, who voted for Trump in the last election, expressed his disillusionment with the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement. He believed the focus would be on "criminals, not every Hispanic, Spanish-lookalike." Reflecting on the incident, Machado said:
"I was a Trump supporter."
The situation unfolded rapidly, leaving Machado bewildered and concerned about the two men taken into custody with him. Recounting the swift actions of the ICE agents, he remarked:
"They just got out of the car with the guns in their hands and say: 'Turn off the car, give me the keys, open the window,' you know. Everything was really fast."
Machado’s experience has caused him to reconsider his support for Trump in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. He fears that law enforcement may unfairly assume:
"They will assume that we are all illegals."
The incident has significantly impacted his faith in the administration he once supported.