When Texas mom Monique Ramirez realized that the police officers who pulled her over in San Antonio were, in fact, federal agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, her stomach dropped.
asserted
stomach → realize → Immigration
The 43-year-old mom, a U.S.-born citizen, was in the car with her 20-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter when she thought she was being pulled over for a traffic stop on Aug. 31.
asserted
she → think → Aug.
“The officer appeared on my daughter's side [of the car], and my daughter's like, ‘Mommy?’” she recalled.
asserted
she → appear → car
“He's asking her, ‘Are you illegal?
asserted
you → ask → her
And so, in that moment, you can see literally in the video where I'm like, 'Oh, this is ICE.’”
Although the incident only lasted two minutes, with officers waving them on their way when they realized the family was American, Ramirez said it will stay with her for the rest of her life.
“It's changed everything,” she told The Independent.
asserted
she → see → Independent
“We don't go out unless we need to.
asserted
we → go → ?
We carry our birth certificates.”
asserted
We → carry → certificates
The mom, a third-generation Mexican-American, said that the agents gave no reason for pulling them over and believes that her family was targeted because of the color of their skin.
asserted
family → say → skin
This is our home,” she said.
asserted
she → say → ?
Earlier this month in Evanston, Illinois, a Black U.S. citizen was apprehended on his way to collect a prescription by federal agents in what the Department of Homeland Security said was a case of mistaken identity.
asserted
Department → apprehend → identity
Bystander video captured him being wrestled to the ground by immigration officers and he was heard screaming: “I’m a f***ing U.S. citizen!”
asserted
I → capture → officers
The man, whose name has not been released, was left bloodied from the encounter and taken to the hospital with neck and head injuries, local police said.
asserted
police → release → injuries
“The individual was given lawful commands but was not cooperative and refused to identify himself,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, which oversees ICE, told The Independent.
asserted
which → give → Independent
“ICE officers relied on their training and later left the scene without further incident once the individual finally identified himself.”
asserted
individual → rely → himself
Since returning to office some 20 months ago, U.S. citizens have been caught up in President Donald Trump’s aggressive operation to try to deport immigrants.
asserted
citizens → return → immigrants
The administration’s tactics have sparked widespread protests where some Americans, like Minnesotans Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal agents.
asserted
Americans → spark → agents
Others, like Army veteran George Retes and construction worker Leo Garcia Venegas, were detained while trying to go to work.
asserted
Others → detain → work
The government doesn’t track the number of U.S. citizens who have encountered ICE but a recent report from the civil liberties group ACLU found that 155 U.S. citizens have been detained or subjected to law enforcement misconduct, including 32 American children.
asserted
citizens → track → children
The report warned that racial profiling has become “rampant” under the Trump administration.
asserted
profiling → warn → administration
The DHS spokesperson said that allegations of “racial profiling” are “disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE.”
asserted
allegations → say → profiling
“What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S.—NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity,” the spokesperson said.
asserted
spokesperson → make → U.S.—NOT
DHS conducts enforcement operations in line with the U.S. Constitution and all applicable federal laws without fear, favor, or prejudice.
asserted
DHS → conduct → fear
The Supreme Court recently vindicated us on this question.”
asserted
Court → vindicate → question
Last year, the Supreme Court opened the door for federal law enforcement officers in Southern California to make immigration arrests by factoring in a person’s perceived race or ethnicity.
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officers → open → race
Trump-appointed Justice Brett Kavanaugh said that “apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion,” but it can be a “relevant factor” for immigration enforcement.
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it → appoint → enforcement
Ramirez said she was stunned when the agents asked her children whether they were in the country illegally, and claimed they told her to “shut up” when she intervened.
asserted
she → say → her
With her heart racing, Ramirez believed it would be better to comply with the officers and encouraged her son and daughter to answer their questions.
asserted
it → race → questions
She also showed them her REAL ID card to confirm her identity.
asserted
She → show → identity
“In the moment when it happens, your body is so full of shock,” she said.
asserted
she → happen → shock
You know, scaredness, sadness.
asserted
You → know → ?
Once the agents appeared satisfied that the family was U.S. citizens, they let them go.
asserted
them → appear → ?
“They never gave us a reason,” she said.
asserted
she → give → reason
“It was just to ask if we were from here.”
asserted
we → ask → ?
The experience has left a mark, particularly for Ramirez’s children.
asserted
experience → leave → children
She said that her daughter was left “shaking” and asked if she could stay home from school.
uncertain
she → say → school
“The first thing she said was, ‘Wow, I cannot believe we were just racially profiled,’ and she's saying this while she's laughing, but tears are coming down her eyes,” Ramirez said.
asserted
Ramirez → say → eyes
“And I can see in that moment the hurt and the betrayal that she feels.”
asserted
she → see → that
Ramirez said her daughter also told her: “‘I feel like I look too Mexican to be out in the wild right now.”
asserted
I → say → wild
In response to the incident, the DHS spokesperson claimed that ICE officers “conducted a vehicle stop on a car registered to an illegal alien.”
asserted
officers → claim → alien
“Officers were respectful and did not tell the individual to ‘shut up’ during the exchange,” the spokesperson added.
asserted
spokesperson → tell → exchange
…and 56 more, not listed.
The Aporia
