A Rhode Island father was left holding his two crying toddlers as ICE agents surrounded him on a residential street, following a car crash that damaged his vehicle. The agents eventually released him, but the encounter left his family frightened and raised questions about how the operation unfolded.
The incident happened Tuesday morning, October 20, in Providence’s Silver Lake neighborhood. According to The Boston Globe, the father, who asked to be identified by his middle name, Sebastian, is a Guatemalan construction worker. He told the newspaper that he was driving his children to a babysitter before heading to work when he noticed vehicles following him.
Sebastian said he hit a curb while trying to avoid the vehicles, damaging the front of his car. He then got out and tried to walk his children home, but ICE agents approached and stopped him. The father was detained on the street for about an hour while holding his two young children, who cried as agents grabbed his arms and shoulders.
The video was shared on Instagram by @og_cempoalli and later reshared on X by @LongTimeHistory. It shows the father holding one child in each arm as agents attempt to restrain him. A woman recording the encounter repeatedly tells the agents to leave him alone and questions whether they have a warrant.
“You’re violating his rights. You’re not supposed to go in his pocket,” the woman says as an agent appears to pat Sebastian down.
An agent orders her to back away, warning her to stay 25 feet away. When she continues filming, he repeats that it is a lawful order and shakes a can that appears to be pepper spray. The agent does not deploy it.
The woman then turns the camera toward Sebastian’s damaged car, showing the detached front bumper and wheel. She points out the vehicle’s license plates while explaining that the man has two young children with him.
According to the outlet, agents eventually released Sebastian. The newspaper reported that it could find no criminal record for Sebastian in Rhode Island.
However, his release did not mean the encounter was necessarily over. Sebastian and his wife told the newspaper that agents instructed him to report to ICE the following day, warning that they would come to his home and arrest the family if he did not show up.
Internet Reacts to Rhode Island ICE Stop
The incident has sparked anger online. One commenter wrote, “Oh god. This is America now, those poor babies.” Another said, “These fascist [expletive] need their rights stripped away. Hopefully, one day soon, these ICE Nazis will be held accountable for their violations of the Constitution and Law.”
A third commenter wrote, “These videos, like the many others we have seen, are infuriating. In addition, it becomes increasingly clear that many (or most) of the agents they have hired are unprofessional, untrained, & unintelligent.”
Another person expressed relief that someone recorded the encounter, writing, “Glad this lady was there. They would’ve taken this poor man away from his family and small kids. Ice has to go.” One commenter added, “Horrific…thought they would slow down their abuse before the midterms, but I guess not.”
The Boston Globe reported that Sebastian’s children remained distressed after the encounter, with his young son following his parents around the home and his daughter struggling to sleep. Sebastian also said he planned to stay home from work because he feared another visit from ICE.
