NPR
A disturbing video showing a man appearing to lose consciousness while clutching a small child during an ICE arrest in Massachusetts has triggered national outrage and sharp criticism of the agency’s conduct. The footage, filmed in Fitchburg, captures a chaotic scene as bystanders shout for help while agents attempt to detain the man’s wife. Federal officials later accused the man of faking a medical emergency to prevent her arrest, but witnesses say officers used excessive force, escalating the already tense encounter.
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Viral Video Sparks Outrage
The video, first obtained by the Boston Globe, shows a desperate struggle inside a car as the man slumps unconscious behind the wheel with a crying child beside him. A woman, believed to be his wife, pleads for help while shouting, “He’s having a seizure.” As ICE agents attempt to remove the passengers, one officer repeatedly orders onlookers to “back up,” while another tries to take the baby from the man’s arms. The footage quickly went viral, prompting widespread condemnation and demands for an independent investigation into ICE’s handling of the situation.
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ICE Denies Misconduct Claims
In response to the backlash, ICE officials said the video does not accurately reflect what happened. Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, stated online that medical personnel “found no legitimate medical episode” and that the family refused treatment. The DHS posted a statement on social media accusing the man of feigning illness, writing, “Imagine FAKING a seizure to help a criminal escape justice.” Officials maintained that the operation was lawful and focused on the man’s wife, not him.
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Man Describes Ordeal
The man, identified as Carlos Sebastian Zapata, told the Boston Globe that he lost consciousness after ICE agents pushed, hit, and restrained him during the arrest attempt. “I wasn’t letting go of my wife because they wanted to take her away,” he said. Zapata described the encounter as violent, claiming agents struck his ribs and pressed on his neck before he passed out. “That’s when I let go of my wife. I had convulsions or something,” he recounted, rejecting ICE’s claim that he faked the episode.
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Arrest Target Identified
ICE later confirmed that the operation’s target was Zapata’s wife, Juliana Milena Ojeda-Montoya, an Ecuadorian national wanted for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Authorities said she allegedly stabbed a co-worker and threw a trash barrel at her. Ojeda-Montoya was taken into custody on Thursday morning after the traffic stop escalated into what ICE described as an “attempted apprehension.” Zapata and the child were not detained.
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Police Respond to Growing Crowd
According to Fitchburg police, ICE agents conducted the traffic stop around 7 a.m. and called local law enforcement about an hour later, reporting that a crowd had begun to form and the situation was becoming “hostile.” Police said a supervisor and captain were dispatched and “confirmed that a crowd was gathering.” Officers were seen on video trying to manage bystanders who were shouting at agents to stop pulling the child away from the unconscious man.
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Deportation Drive Intensifies
The incident occurred amid the Trump administration’s heightened deportation efforts, including “Operation Patriot 2.0,” launched in Massachusetts in September. That enforcement campaign led to the detention of more than 1,400 people across the state for immigration-related offenses. Immigrant rights advocates have condemned the operation, arguing that aggressive tactics have endangered families and heightened fear among immigrant communities.
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Pattern of Controversial Arrests
This was the second ICE-related controversy involving a child in less than a week. Earlier, heavily armed ICE agents in Los Angeles arrested a U.S. citizen in a Home Depot parking lot and then drove away with his one-year-old son, also a citizen, still inside the car. The repeated incidents have fueled criticism that the agency’s enforcement actions are increasingly reckless, blurring the line between law enforcement and intimidation.
