Videos: 'Help me!' ICE violently detains man who says he's U.S. citizen
A Long Beach man, Ricardo Gonzalez, was hospitalized after a violent detention by ICE agents, despite his claims of being a U.S. citizen. Local officials have called for an independent investigation into the use of force and the conduct of the federal agents involved.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding federal immigration enforcement tactics and the civil rights of U.S. citizens during such operations.
"Help me! Help me! My arm is f— broken, it f— hurts!" screams a Long Beach man as he is pinned, face down in a gutter, and handcuffed by ICE agents. Videos of the detention, which took place Saturday in a residential area in North Long Beach, have sparked outrage over the tactics employed by federal immigration agents and the lack of answers from the Department of Homeland Security over the operation itself. DHS did not respond to The Times' request for comment Monday. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said he was outraged by the recordings and had spoken to the injured man, Ricardo Gonzalez, who is a former longtime city employee. "Ricardo is a dad," Richardson said. "He just wants his kids to feel safe. He shouldn't have to worry about being injured, being hit by a car.
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