Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

ICE Agent Smashes Immigrant's Car Window While He Waits For Lawyer In Harrowing Video

ICE agent smashes car window
Marilu Domingo Ortiz via Ondine Galvez-Sniffin

A married immigrant couple in New Bedford, Massachusetts, were calmly waiting in their car for their lawyer to arrive after being pulled over by ICE officers on Monday when one of the agents smashed their car window to get inside.

A Guatemalan family—in the United States under legal asylum status—is seeking answers from the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after a violent interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On Monday, ICE agents pulled over a Toyota driven by Juan Francisco Méndez, 29, as he and his wife, Marilu Domingo Ortiz, traveled to a dental appointment in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The couple called their lawyer, Ondine Galvez-Sniffin, who advised they stay in their vehicle with the windows closed until she could get to them.


Mrs. Ortiz told agents they were waiting for their lawyer to arrive.

But an ICE agent threatened them instead of waiting peacefully, saying in Spanish:

"We can do it the easy or hard way."

Then an ICE agent used what appeared to be a firefighters' Halligan tool—a cross between a crow bar and hammer used for gaining entry—to smash a rear window to enter the car without a warrant.

You can watch video taken by Mrs. Ortiz here:

youtu.be



@LongTimeHistory/X

After the video stopped, the couple was pulled from the vehicle. Mrs. Ortiz was left on scene, but her husband was abducted by ICE without a warrant or criminal charges.

Neither Mr. Méndez or Mrs. Ortiz have a criminal record. ICE was reportedly looking for a different man when they cornered the couple, but decided to take Mr. Méndez instead.

According to Boston.com, the couple's lawyer, Ondine Galvez-Sniffin, stated:

"The agents reached in, opened the front door, dragged both him and his wife out of the car, arrested him, and put him in their vehicle."
"I have never heard of this level of brutality."

Mrs. Ortiz and the couple's 9-year-old son were granted asylum in 2024. Mr. Méndez began his own asylum process in October of 2024, but as the husband of an asylee, he already had protected status.

Galvez-Sniffin added:

"The anger, the violence that the agents exerted and my clients, their quiet humility, their respectfulness, and in the face of a very scary situation, they did not lose control."
"They were asserting their rights, and they were completely disregarded. They were very, very respectful and very humble, and it was for naught because the agents didn’t care."

In an interview with the Associated Press, Galvez-Sniffin said:

"When I arrived on the scene, my client’s wife was sobbing. She was crying. She was shaking."

The couple's lawyer arrived in time to see and hear as Mr. Méndez was driven away in handcuffs as he yelled, "Help me!" in Spanish.

“I walked over to the car and I see the busted window, the glass all over the back seat, and I was shocked. I’ve been doing immigration work for 27 years and this was the first time that I saw such violent drastic measures being taken."

Of her family's ordeal, Mrs. Ortiz said through a translator:

"We came here to do honest work. To fight for our family. What they did, or what they’re doing right now, no, it’s not fair. We don’t deserve that treatment."

Ortiz added her son, who was at school when the assault happened, is taking his father's abduction hard.

"He has already stopped eating because of what we’re going through. I just hope that they release my husband so he can come back with us and that my son can be with him as well."

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell is also looking for answers from ICE.

People are pointing to the latest ICE overreach as an indication of escalation.

Welcome to Fascism
— Alan frost (@alanfrost57.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 7:47 AM



It’s going to get worse. Far worse.
— Hodofyle (@hodofyle.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 6:04 AM



Trump's Stormtroopers.
— rabelaisi.bsky.social (@rabelaisi.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 5:10 AM



If you’re not familiar with the word “Kristallnact” (or Night of Broken Glass) and what it refers to, it’s worth googling. 😩
— Carrie Kay (@carriekay.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 3:47 AM


Galvez‐Sniffin believes Mr. Méndez is being held at Strafford County Corrections in Dover, New Hampshire. Because of his asylum status, he should have a court hearing next month, but it’s not noted in the court system yet.

A federal judge in New Hampshire ruled Wednesday that DHS and ICE must give Mr. Méndez's attorneys 72 hours notice before transferring him anywhere. But with the Trump administration's disregard for the United States Constitution, immigration laws, and court orders, it's unclear what will happen to Mr. Méndez.

Galvez-Sniffin stated:

"There really was no reason to treat him the way that he and his wife were treated.”

After her arrival on the scene, ICE agents refused to look at the paperwork showing Mr. Méndez was in the process of being granted asylum like his wife of 10 years and their son.

The couple's lawyer added:

"My biggest concern, his family’s biggest concern is getting him back. He has no criminal background and everything to stay for in this country."

More from Trending

Denzel Washington confronting photographer on Cannes red carpet
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Denzel Washington Unloads On Paparazzi For Grabbing Him On Cannes Red Carpet

On Monday, multi-award winning actor Denzel Washington walked the red carpet in France with his costar A$AP Rocky and director Spike Lee during the Cannes Film Festival. He was there to attend the screening of his latest film, the Spike Lee directed Highest 2 Lowest.

But the two time Academy Award winner was stopped on his trek down the carpet by a handsy photographer who grabbed him at least once before Washington asked him to keep his hands to himself.

Keep ReadingShow less
Naomi Biden; Jake Tapper
Mandel Ngan/Getty Images; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Biden's Granddaughter Slams Jake Tapper's Tell-All Book As 'Political Fairy Smut' In Viral Rant

Naomi Biden, the eldest granddaughter of former President Joe Biden, called out CNN's Jake Tapper and British journalist Alex Thompson over their book Original Sin, in which they accuse the White House of covering up Biden's mental and physical decline in office.

The 82-year-old Biden was diagnosed on Friday with prostate cancer after reporting urinary symptoms, according to an official statement from his office. He and his family are currently reviewing treatment options with his medical team.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Maggie Hassan and Kristi Noem
@arupar/X

Noem Gets Epically Schooled By Dem Senator After She Proves She Has No Clue What 'Habeas Corpus' Is

New Hampshire Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan called out Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem after Noem demonstrated that she doesn't understand the legal principle of habeas corpus during a congressional hearing.

In simple terms, a writ of habeas corpus is a court order requiring authorities to bring a detained individual before a judge to justify their continued detention. In the federal system, judges often receive habeas petitions from state prisoners who claim their constitutional rights were violated during their prosecution or imprisonment.

Keep ReadingShow less
A slightly confused, young medical student, in a white lab coat looks at an e-ray. He stands against a red background with a stethoscope hanging around his neck.
Photo by Fotos on Unsplash

Doctors Share The Biggest Medical Mysteries They've Ever Solved

The body is such a mystery.

Every time we think we've learned it all, the body says... "Hold my spleen!"

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @zbruhyuhyuh and @amberaliyaa's TikTok videos
@zbruhyuhyuh/TikTok; @amberaliyaa/TikTok

Grieving Woman In Tears Over Couple's Engagement On The Beach—Then TikTok Found The Bride-To-Be

There's an old saying that there's no such thing as a bad life, only bad days.

TikToker @zbruhyuhyuh was grieving her best friend who had recently passed away and visiting a beach that she loved when she encountered something beautiful: the beginning of a couple's life together.

Keep ReadingShow less