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A mother walking with her children in Pasadena was partially captured on video and was taken into custody by immigration agents over the weekend in an incident that attracted acute criticism from eyewitnesses.
According to Bystanders, Rosalinalna Vargas, the mother of two and the family’s leading producer, was arrested by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) officer around 8am on Saturday, according to the Bystanders. Her children were present at the time of their arrest. At the time of his arrest, it happened during the daytime on the corner of Catalina and Del Mar.
The encounter was documented by California graduate and local resident Gillian Reed.
In the footage she films, we can see three individuals, two in hiding, wearing badges on straps, trying to push Vargas into an unmarked Honda Accord. A third man who looked younger and looked unidentified also took part.
“When I saw the fuss while I was driving and it was late, the kids cried out for help,” Reed said. “They kept asking for warrants. They told officers they would stop resisting if they just showed them the warrants.
The video cuts off Vargas’ daughter as she begs Reed and the police to call. According to Reed, she called 911 and reported that she believed there was a possibility of an invitation.
As the situation escalated, Vargas was free to break free from the agents and ran to the courtyard of the nearby Delmar Park Assist Living Facilities, with children said to have followed nearby. The agent pursued, but was once again faced with children who had tried to physically protect their mother.
“They formed the human barrier,” Reed said. “As one of the children clung to her, crying, “Don’t let go! Don’t let go!” he began screaming at the crowd, “I can’t lose my mother!”
Reed said staff at the Assist Living facility stepped in and told agents he was on private property and could not proceed without a warrant. The agents took photos of everyone present, including Reed, before leaving the two separate vehicles.
Pasadena police later arrived and issued a statement from people on the scene. According to Reed, the ice agent later returned to detain Vargas.
The family told Reed that the warrant in question was for someone else and that Vargas and her children were simply “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Community members say the incident highlights growing concerns about ICE arrest tactics and the lack of transparency in operations carried out in public areas without coordination with local law enforcement.
Still upset, Reid called the incident “terrifying” and questioned whether it followed law enforcement procedures.
“Of the three men, only two had badges and none of them wore uniforms,” she said. “I didn’t know if they were witnessing or luring a hate crime, and I didn’t even know if I’d call the police because they might have been law enforcement.”
ICE has not released details about the arrest, including the accusations and identities of the agents involved.
The incident has intensified federal immigrant enforcement measures in parts of Southern California, spurring backlash among immigrant communities and renewed discussions about child rights and child rights in enforcement situations.
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