CHELSEA, Mass. — Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on behalf of a Chelsea mother and her two children who were detained by ICE while accompanying a family member to a court hearing in September.
According to the lawsuit, the mother, Hilda Ramirez Sanan, has lived in the United States for more than 20 years and is a lawful permanent resident. Her two children are also U.S. citizens.
The arrest was captured on video outside the Chelsea courthouse.
The lawsuit alleges that multiple unmarked vehicles surrounded Ramirez Sanan’s car and that ICE officers smashed the driver-side window before pulling her from the vehicle.
ICE officers then forcefully twisted her arms behind her back to handcuff her, kicked her and slammed her face-first onto the ground, according to the complaint. The incident occurred in front of her children.
The lawsuit further alleges that ICE officers reached into the vehicle, unbuckled the seat belt of Ramirez Sanan’s 13-year-old son and forcibly pulled him from the car. The child, who is on the autism spectrum, was shaking and crying as officers questioned him about his legal status, age and living situation.
An ICE officer threatened to arrest the 13-year-old if he did not answer questions or produce proof of legal status, despite his age, visible distress and disability, the lawsuit further states.
Local police intervened and insisted ICE check Ramirez Sanan’s identification. She was released after officers determined she was a lawful resident.
Ramirez Sanan suffered a concussion, bruising and radial nerve palsy as a result of the force used during her arrest, according to the lawsuit.
The thirteen-year-old boy has been crying inconsolably, refusing to be separated from his mom, and unable to sleep due to recurring nightmares about the incident where he cries out, “Don’t kill my mom.” Every time the family passes by the scene, which is frequently because they live nearby, he repeats: “That’s where they hurt my mom.”
“The extreme and senseless cruelty inflicted on longstanding Chelsea residents in the heart of their community should shock and alarm all of us,” said Jillian Lenson, a senior attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights.
“The ICE officers did not identify themselves, provide an explanation or present a warrant before violently assaulting the family,” Lenson said. “The behavior was illegal, shameless and inhumane. The family deserves justice, and we will continue fighting for accountability on behalf of immigrants and their families.”
Boston 25 has reached out to ICE for comment on the lawsuit but have yet to hear back.
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