Andrea Velez, a 32-year-old US citizen, found herself at the center of a controversial ICE raid in downtown Los Angeles on June 24. On her daily commute to work at a footwear factory, hell was breaking loose. ICE agents leaped from their vehicle as they began wildly pursuing street vendors and pedestrians in a panic. Velez’s world flipped upside down in a matter of seconds. She was made one of the targets of the raid, igniting community outrage at how ICE’s immigration enforcement practices place US citizens at risk.
During the raid, Velez froze, clutching her bag as chaos unfolded around her. And video footage recorded as she was violently dragged into a car by ICE agents went viral. With no one else nearby to assist, she stretched out her hand to a passing pedestrian. She scrambled to get her mom’s phone number. But Velez’s ordeal was far from over, as the nightmare continued once she was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center, where she experienced even more trauma.
The Arrest and Its Aftermath
After her arrest, Velez was held in a cell at New York City’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, a federal jail. The conditions were extreme, medical attention was not provided to her, she wasn’t even given water by staff and had to buy a cup of water from another resident. She was looking at significant time on her charges, including assaulting an officer, which was punishable by 20 years in prison. Yet, 16 days after her arrest, the Department of Justice filed to dismiss these charges.
Of course, Velez’s story does not start or end with her arrest. It encapsulates the trauma, fear, intimidation, and anxiety many go through when faced with harmful and aggressive immigration enforcement. Velez, a lifelong resident of Los Angeles, grew up only a few blocks away from where the accident occurred. Now, she’s just plain scared to go back downtown.
“I don’t feel safe knowing they can randomly attack and take you,” – Andrea Velez
Aside from the physical and emotional burden, Velez has continued working virtually since her arrest. She leaves with a deep, permanent scar that ICE will come after her again one day, even without charges against her.
Legal Concerns and Community Response
Velez’s legal counsel, attorney Diane Bass, has been outspoken about the dearth of transparency related to her client’s arrest. Bass had requested body-worn camera footage and witness statements before the charges were dismissed, but these were never provided. She emphasized the gravity of what transpired, calling it “a shocking and disgusting travesty of justice.”
“I never got them. That tells me they did not have the evidence they needed and this was a false and unlawful arrest,” – Diane Bass
The community response has been significant. Those who watched the chaos unfold were struck by the level of force that ICE agents appeared to be ready to deploy. As one witness explained, the situation was extremely dangerous due to the panic-inducing nature of the agents’ actions.
“This girl was just standing there … they are causing chaos,” – Witness
A frequent complaint by community members was that ICE enforcement activities unjustly mischaracterize people, especially those in the most vulnerable circumstances. Velez put such fatalism into words when he said, “There’s no hope.” He noted that immigration enforcement today defaults to making it seem like they’re dealing with “the worst of the worst.”
“They make it seem like we’re really bad criminals, the worst of the worst, when we’re just regular people,” – Andrea Velez
Broader Implications
The circumstances leading up to Velez’s arrest represent a larger conversation about the plight of aggressive law enforcement versus getting communities home safely. Legal experts have noted that in the case of a protest or riot, these reactive arrests often result in rejected complaints. This provides law enforcement with additional evidentiary support for their cases.
“When there are reactive arrests, like we had during the riots, it’s not uncommon for a complaint to be dismissed so that law enforcement can conduct additional investigation and collect more evidence,” – Essayli
The implications of Velez’s experience go far beyond her personal ordeal. They even go as far as addressing systemic issues in the implementation of immigration laws with the enforcement action. These actions materially harm American citizens and immigrants alike.
Velez’s story illustrates the pitfalls people face when interacting with law enforcement. It serves to illuminate the multitude of obstacles they encounter in this often toxic interaction.