A father says Texas ICE agents dragged him from his vehicle and struck him while his pregnant wife and one-year-old daughter watched. Video of the encounter in Donna has drawn outrage, particularly over the agents’ handling of the situation while the child was inside the car.
The man, José Reyes, is a U.S. citizen who was born in Joliet, Illinois. In an interview with Telemundo, Reyes said he was driving with his wife and young daughter when ICE agents surrounded his vehicle and ordered him out.
He said the agents appeared to mistake him for another man and continued detaining him even after he repeatedly told them he was an American citizen.
The footage, recorded by Reyes’ wife and originally shared on Instagram by @elzorroysupandilla, shows agents opening the car door and pulling him out. Several agents then force him to the ground and pin him down as his wife records the encounter and tries to explain that he is from the United States.
“First of all, he’s from here,” she tells the agents, asking them to give her husband space. She also points out that their little girl is in the vehicle and challenges an agent over repeatedly hitting the car window.
“Nobody hit it,” an agent responds.
The woman insists that she recorded the incident and says the child is only one year old. She continues arguing that the agents had no reason to hit the window while her daughter was sitting inside.
Throughout the confrontation, she also reminds the agents that she is pregnant. Her attempts to explain the situation do not prevent them from pulling Reyes from the driver’s seat and restraining him on the pavement.
In his interview with Telemundo, Reyes said agents struck him during the struggle, including hitting him in the ribs and head. He also alleged that they continued referring to him by another man’s name after taking him into custody.
According to Reyes, agents eventually received confirmation of his citizenship over the radio and released him. He said they apologized afterward, but he was considering legal action over what happened.
The video was later reshared in an English-translated version on X by @LongTimeHistory.
Internet Reacts To ICE Agents Dragging Texas Father From His Car
The video sparked a wave of reactions in the comments, with viewers expressing anger over the force used against Reyes and the distress his family appeared to experience.
One commenter wrote, “Nothing makes me angrier than this. Nothing. That said, rest assured that these evil ICE thugs will face criminal justice. History is very clear that humans only endure abuse for a short time.” Another said, “They’re traumatizing children on purpose.”
Other viewers questioned how the agents could carry out the encounter in front of a pregnant woman and a toddler. One person wrote, “I don’t know how they live with themselves!” while another commented, “I don’t like this version of America.”
A final commenter expressed concern about whether federal agents would face consequences, writing, “They could just ride down the street firing randomly at pedestrians and kill hundreds a day, and face no consequences.”
The available reporting does not establish the full basis for the agents’ initial decision to stop Reyes.
