- A pregnant woman, Cary Lopez Alvarado, was detained by ICE in California despite being a US citizen.
- She was apprehended on June 8, one week before her due date, causing public outrage over the incident.
- During her arrest, Alvarado experienced physical l distress and required hospitalization after her release.
A 28-year-old woman, who is nine months pregnant, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in California despite being a US citizen. Cary Lopez Alvarado was apprehended on June 8 in Hawthorne, Los Angeles County, just a week before her due date, sparking widespread outrage over ICE's actions.
During her arrest, Ms Alvarado claimed agents "shoved her," causing her to lose her balance. She tried to protect her stomach as she leaned forward, and later experienced sharp stomach pains, requiring hospitalisation after her release on Sunday.
"They started grabbing me from both sides, and I ducked down to sort of shield my stomach because I was afraid they were going to hurt me. I told them it [her due date] was June 17, and they said, 'OK, your baby is going to be born here, but you're from Mexico, right?' And I told them no," Lopez Alvarado told Telemundo 52.
Lopez's due date wasn't for another week, but after her experience, her doctors have been monitoring her well-being as well as that of her baby, NBC Los Angeles reported.
What happened?
Masked men in Border Patrol uniforms followed a vehicle carrying two undocumented workers, including Ms Alvarado's partner, to a private parking lot in Hawthorne. Ms Alvarado and her cousin, a US citizen, opened the gate for her partner and co-worker to enter. When agents attempted to enter the private property, she blocked the door and asked them to leave, citing private property.
Agents claimed the parking lot wasn't private property and arrested López Alvarado, her partner, her cousin, and the co-worker. Witnesses filmed the arrest, shouting for her release due to her pregnancy. Ms Alvarado was told she was arrested for obstructing the operation, despite her protests that she wasn't resisting and was pregnant.
“I wasn't resisting or anything,” she said. “I can't fight back. I'm pregnant.”
The detention occurs as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown, prioritising enforcement operations. President Trump has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation effort in US history, implementing stricter border controls and increasing ICE arrests nationwide.
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