In a disturbing escalation of warrantless apprehensions of migrants, Jose Castro and his family in Fontana, California, have spent over a week trapped inside their home after what advocates describe as a coordinated campaign of harassment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The aggressive doorstep raid, captured on video and shared online, has raised new questions about the legality—and morality—of the agency’s draconian tactics under the Trump administration.
On the morning of July 30, 2025, in Fontana, California, Castro was headed to work when a convoy of vehicles intercepted and blocked his car, with one ramming him from behind. According to surveillance footage, the Nicaraguan immigrant managed to flee the ambush and rush back home, narrowly evading capture. Minutes later, however, two unmasked men dressed in law enforcement gear were caught on camera attempting to kick down his door—despite appearing to lack a valid warrant.
If they had a warrant, they would’ve gone in,” said Javier Hernandez, executive director of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ). “It’s clear they didn’t, which could violate a judge’s restraining order against such actions.
State-Sanctioned Terror on the Rise
Castro, who entered the U.S. with his wife and children under the CBP One humanitarian parole program, has a putative deportation order issued in October 2024. While more serious charges were dismissed, he pleaded guilty to a minor infraction following a dispute with an armed neighbor. Regardless, ICE agents have reportedly stalked the family’s apartment, pounded on their door for days, and frightened them into job loss and isolation.
“They’ve been knocking every day. We haven’t been able to eat or leave. We’re terrified,” Castro told Noticias Telemundo.
On Reddit, the reaction was swift and incendiary:
“Per usual, we never know who they are picking up or what they are wanted for if it’s an actual crime or an immigration violation. They operate in silence and secrecy…with these crazy tactics and for some reason can’t understand why the public has a problem with it,” wrote u/Forsaken-Spring-8708. Another user, u/Rarpiz, didn’t mix any metaphors: “I’m surprised Steve Miller/Noem hasn’t made the Schutzstaffel totenkoph the official ICE emblem yet. That’s all I see ICE agents as: Donald’s private SS police force.”
Critics have compared the recent state-sanctioned domestic terror to paramilitary raids, reminiscent of authoritarian tactics from 1930s Europe, when Blackshirt and brownshirt quislings provided vigilante backup for their respective fascist leaders. While legal observers note that administrative warrants—unlike judicial ones—don’t permit home entry, ICE often bypass constitutional protections (the Castle Doctrine doesn’t apply to federal agents).
Reddit users documenting the incident echoed this concern. “ICE operates in silence and secrecy,” one wrote. “They kick down doors without warrants and expect no pushback.”
The Fontana imbroglio highlights what many see as an unchecked immigration enforcement system that uses intimidation and secrecy to terrorize families. As Hernandez put it: “Are they here to enforce the law—or to instill fear?”
Amid the uproar, there have also been renewed calls for the city’s mayor and city council to adopt sanctuary protections, which could limit local cooperation with federal immigration agents across California.
