Communities across the U.S. continue to feel the very public display of immigrant enforcement by ICE. Families are being separated and people are witnessed being carted off, like one New Yorker hanging out of an unmarked vehicle, shouting for help. With family members being frequently moved back and forth between facilities and also deported back to their home countries, many families report loved ones ‘disappearing’ right off the map. In a horrifying recent video, a California woman was detained and kidnapped by ICE agents right outside a courthouse.
Posted by Long Time History on Twitter, in the video a woman appeared at the Riverside Historic Courthouse so she could report sexual assault. Just before she could, she was detained by ICE. You can hear her full-body sobbing as he holds her hands behind her back. The entire time, the ICE agent has a big, old grin on his face.
“She’s a victim of sexual assault. And you’re arresting her and kidnapping her?” the person recording the video said.
Another person on-camera asks, “Bro, why are you grabbing her so tight? You’re a big man,” before ICE shoves the woman into an SUV. While inside, you can hear the woman calling out to those recording the incident. She tells them her last name is “Vario” and even spells it out for them. Unfortunately, there have been no updates on the woman and her whereabouts. All that’s known is she was put into an SUV with a DHS-labeled license plate.
One commenter had something to say about the eye-opening video. He commented, “Oh, bravo, ICE’s finest: manhandling a sexual assault survivor like she’s auditioning for the next season of Orange is the New Black, all while grinning like the Grinch who stole Christmas – and her dignity.”
Another commenter had a poignant thought, “When a woman seeking justice is met with handcuffs instead of help, the system isn’t just failing. It’s punishing the very people it should protect.” Not to mention making it even harder than it already is for victims to step forward.
And naturally, racists showed up to gloat, one of which argued, “Well, if she is illegal she has to go. Don’t commit crimes,” while there was no crime to speak of. Even with excusable context, it doesn’t make a difference.
