Federal immigration agents at one point handcuffed two teenage children, who were later released. Their parents were taken into custody.OCEANSIDE, Calif. — A federal immigration raid in Oceanside last Wednesday resulted in the arrest of a mother and father, leaving their minor children in the care of family. The operation, carried out by agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was captured on video by a neighbor.The raid took place at an apartment complex...
Federal immigration agents at one point handcuffed two teenage children, who were later released. Their parents were taken into custody.
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — A federal immigration raid in Oceanside last Wednesday resulted in the arrest of a mother and father, leaving their minor children in the care of family. The operation, carried out by agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was captured on video by a neighbor.
The raid took place at an apartment complex in Oceanside, where HSI agents executed an arrest warrant. Cell phone footage documented the intense moments as agents forcefully entered the residence.
"They are family to us - and this is not okay!" said Marlo Cleveland, a neighbor who lives upstairs from the family and recorded the incident.
Cleveland's video captured agents banging on the door and announcing their presence in Spanish and English.
The operation escalated quickly, with agents employing aggressive tactics. "They set off flash bangs in the house, they broke [the] window, they sent drones in. One guy had a hand grenade on his vest. What was he going to do with that?" said Cleveland.
At one point, agents warned nearby residents about the potential use of tear gas.
"I am just letting you know, we may use gas, and you may get a secondary exposure to that gas. So I just want you to be aware that that is going to happen, okay?" An agent can be heard saying in the video.
Initially, all four family members, including two teenagers aged 14 and 17, were handcuffed. The teens were later released into the custody of their older sister, while the parents remain in federal custody awaiting court proceedings.
The incident has sparked community outrage, with a local artist creating a mural of the couple within days of the raid.
Cleveland stressed the importance to her of documenting such incidents.
"If you can document it, document it. Let people know what is happening, let them see what is going on, because it is not okay," she told CBS 8.
CBS 8 has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for comment but has not yet received a response.