ICE Agents Detain Guatemalan Man After Breaking Car Window in New Bedford

Several videos and eyewitness accounts document U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents forcibly detaining Juan Francisco Méndez, a Guatemalan immigrant, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. While waiting in their car for their attorney after being approached by ICE, Méndez and his wife—both of whom assert they were following legal procedures and Méndez has no criminal record—refused to exit the vehicle until their lawyer arrived. ICE agents, who were reportedly targeting another individual but may have mistaken Méndez's identity, broke the car window with a hammer and forcibly removed the couple. Méndez, who is in the process of seeking asylum, was subsequently taken to a detention facility in New Hampshire. The incident, which was captured on video and widely circulated, has heightened fear in the local immigrant community, with advocates noting an increase in similar ICE encounters in the area. Méndez's attorney and family maintain that his rights were violated during the incident and he is awaiting a court hearing.