What to Know
- A father from New York was handcuffed and hauled away by ICE agents in front of his child, the man's wife claims
- Marcia Pinos says her husband Carlos has lived in the U.S. for 20 years and declares ICE officials were not after the right guy in Ossining
- ICE disputes Pinos' claim, saying they did go to the home specifically looking for Carlos, who they say has a conviction for DUI
A New York father was handcuffed in front of his loved ones and taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, but now his family is saying he isn’t even the right man federal agents were looking for.
Marcia Pinos says her husband Carlos has lived in the United States for 20 years, but she claims when ICE agents knocked on her Ossining home's front door they weren’t looking for her husband, but rather for somebody else.
“They asked for a gentleman named Luis, which she told them he does not live her,” Pinos told NBC 4 New York through a translator. “Then ICE went on to ask ‘Who do you live with’ and said ‘I live her with my husband. His name is Carlos.”’
Pinos then claims ICE officers forced their way inside her Westchester County home and hauled Carlos off with no explanation. She also claimed the officers got physical with her, leaving her with a bruised wrist and scratches on her shoulder.
ICE wouldn’t respond to specific questions about the arrest to News 4, but a spokesperson disputes Pinos' claims, saying ICE agents did go to the home specifically looking for Carlos, who they say has a previous conviction for DUI.
“ICE arrested a national of Ecuador illegally in the U.S. during a targeted enforcement action in which this specific individual was sought,” ICE spokesperson Khaalid Walls told News 4 in a statement. “He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”
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Afterward, about 100 people rallied at Ossining Town Hall in support of Carlos and Marcia, demanding he be released.
“We are not criminals,” Marcia said through a loud speaker at the rally. “We are human beings.”
Advocacy groups are helping the family with legal aid. Carlos’ fate will likely be determined by an immigration court judge.
