Overview
- Narciso Barranco, a 48-year-old landscaper and undocumented immigrant, was approached by masked U.S. Border Patrol agents on June 21, chased with a weed whacker, pinned to the ground, pepper-sprayed and punched repeatedly in a video that circulated online.
- The Department of Homeland Security asserts Barranco swung the garden tool at agents, but his family insists he was trying to protect himself, not injure anyone.
- Barranco remains in ICE custody in Los Angeles facing deportation despite living in Orange County since the 1990s, owning a landscaping business and having no criminal record.
- Supporters have contributed more than $180,000 through a GoFundMe page to cover his legal fees and press for Parole in Place relief for military families.
- Santa Ana Councilman Johnathan Hernandez and local activists have protested the arrest, criticizing the use of force and calling for an end to heavy-handed immigration sweeps.