Santa Ana’s family was able to find her father with the help of two California lawmakers after being captured on video of her being punched and detained by federal agents over the weekend.
Narciso Barranco, a 48-year-old landscaper and father of three Marines, was held in ice custody at a federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles.
California Senator Alex Padilla and Santa Ana Rep. Lou Carrera intervened to help the Baranco family find their father after they were unaware of where they were after their arrest.
“He has been in the country for 25 years and his three sons are in the US Marines, not his transport ticket,” said Rep. Correa. “We have three sons who have made vows to protect this country and have made vows to bring this country to life. This is the treatment he has received from these agents. This is very sad.”
Correa says it was difficult to find a Barranco as he was prevented from searching for ice detention facilities along with other members of Congress.
“We made a lot of calls and talked to a lot of individuals in the system. We finally realized he was in Los Angeles this morning,” Correa said.
Rep. Santa Ana added that Baranco’s son Alejandro will finally meet his father and will have his lawyer sign the approval documents to represent him.
In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Alejandro Baranco said he spoke to his father through the wall of a federal jail window.
“He looked bad. He looked really bad,” Alejandro said. “He was wearing the same clothes he had when he got him. He still had blood in his shirt. He just looked scared. His eyes are all red. He says he’s on fire.”
Finding a place where his father was being held was challenging, Baranco said.
“It’s very difficult,” Alejandro said. “We wouldn’t have known where he was to find him.
Correa says he hopes Baranco will be released on bonds and spend the day in court.
“He is a law-abiding taxpayer. Three of his children are in the Marines. He deserves the opportunity to be in this country,” Correa said. “It’s been 25 years in this country, not a transportation ticket. These are the types of immigration the United States needs.”
In the video of the weekend’s arrest, federal agents were seen punching Narciso Baranco. Narciso Baranco has lived in the United States for over 30 years when he was secured to the ground.
He worked in landscaping work outside of IHOP on Richie Street and Eddinger Avenue. The Department of Homeland Security shared on social media Monday that Baranco assaulted federal agents with weed robbers while in custody.
However, his family said that a longtime landscaper was trying to protect himself from pepper spray and some armed agents.
Alejandro said he always knew his father could be detained by federal immigration authorities, but he took the risks to offer his family. Baranco’s two other sons are currently serving in the Marines.
In a statement to the NBCLA on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said Baranco holds immigration and customs enforcement custody.
“An agent in the Border Patrol arrested an illegal alien who tried to avoid law enforcement. DHS Deputy Chief Tricia McLaughlin said. He then fled from a busy intersection and raised the weed whacker with his agent again. The illegal aliens were endured, refusing to fight handcuffs, refused to identify themselves, and to adhere to every stage of the road. The agents took appropriate measures, followed their training, using the minimum force necessary to resolve the situation in a way that prioritized the safety of the public and our officers. He is now in ice detention.”
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