Overview
- Video from Fitchburg shows Carlos Zapata shaking in the driver’s seat as masked agents surround the family car and bystanders yell that he is having a seizure.
- DHS says Zapata feigned a medical episode, 911 was called, medics found no legitimate emergency, and he declined treatment.
- Agents were seeking Juliana Milena Ojeda-Montoya over an alleged August assault with scissors; she remains in ICE custody as Zapata and the couple’s child were released, according to multiple reports.
- Zapata and witnesses allege agents used force, including neck pressure and an attempt to pull away the baby, while DHS says he appeared coherent moments later.
- Rights groups are demanding reviews of ICE tactics and medical care, pointing to other recent cases in Illinois, Arizona, Texas and Chicago that describe poor communication, prolonged detention and pressure toward expedited removals.