Los Angeles, CA — Federal immigration officers are facing backlash after arresting a U.S. citizen during a raid outside a Home Depot in Los Angeles and then driving off in his car with his 1-year-old daughter still strapped in the back seat, according to family members and immigrant advocacy groups.
A video captured by a member of the Los Angeles Rapid Response Network shows the man, his hands behind his back, being led away by two masked agents wearing helmets and bulletproof vests. Moments later, the same agents get into his car and drive away — with the toddler still inside.
Bystanders can be heard shouting, “There’s a baby in the back!” as the car pulls away.
Advocates Condemn “Dangerous” Action
Immigrant rights advocates called the agents’ decision reckless and dangerous.
“It was a dangerous act to have armed men get in a car with that child and remove her from the situation,” said Lindsay Toczylowski, co-founder of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which assists families impacted by immigration enforcement.
Toczylowski said her organization was contacted by community members to help reunite the family but could not represent the man directly because he is a U.S. citizen. She confirmed that the girl’s relatives later picked her up from federal offices in Los Angeles.
“They should have followed protocols that had the best interest of that child in mind,” Toczylowski added.
According to The Associated Press, the man’s arrest occurred during a Department of Homeland Security raid targeting suspected immigration violations.
DHS Responds to Incident
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the man got out of his car “wielding a hammer and throwing rocks” at Border Patrol agents during the operation. Officials said he was arrested for investigation of assault and that a stolen pistol from New York was later found in his vehicle.
However, DHS did not comment on why agents chose to drive the man’s vehicle away with the toddler inside, a move that advocates and family members have condemned.
Officials confirmed that five immigrants were also arrested during the operation for suspected immigration violations.
Experts Weigh In
Law enforcement expert Ed Obayashi, a California special prosecutor, explained that during DUI or local police operations, officers typically call a tow company and ensure children are transported safely in patrol vehicles rather than leaving them inside suspects’ cars.
“They usually take the kids to the station where family can pick them up because they don’t want to be responsible for the car,” he said.
However, Obayashi suggested that in this situation — surrounded by onlookers filming the arrest — agents may have decided to move the vehicle and child to safety.
“I think they were just trying to get the vehicle and the kid out of there and to safety,” he said.
Family Speaks Out
The man’s mother, Maria, said she received a call from an unknown number Tuesday, instructing her to pick up the child at the U.S. Border Patrol offices in Los Angeles.
She said the girl was safe but repeatedly asked for her father, who is a U.S. citizen born in California and works in the restaurant industry.
“It’s something very frightening,” Maria said in Spanish. “You don’t know who those people are.”
Maria confirmed that she and the child are also U.S. citizens, and that the family remains uncertain about the man’s current whereabouts as of Wednesday.
Ongoing Questions
Advocates are demanding answers from DHS about the agents’ handling of the situation and the potential violation of federal child welfare protocols.
Toczylowski said the case highlights growing concerns about accountability during federal immigration operations, especially when U.S. citizens are mistakenly detained or impacted.
What are your thoughts on this controversial case and how federal agencies should handle child safety during arrests? Share your views in the comments below.
