ICE agents storm Queens home with guns drawn
A shocking video shows federal immigration agents entering a Queens home with guns drawn as a mother pleads for her children’s safety. Community advocates are calling it a home invasion, claiming the agents had no warrant and targeted the wrong address. FOX 5 NY’s Jessica Formoso has the details.
QUEENS – A video circulating on social media shows federal immigration agents entering a Queens home with guns drawn as a mother and her young children were inside.Â
What we know:
The incident, which happened last Thursday in East Elmhurst, has prompted calls for accountability from community advocates and a response from federal officials.
What they’re saying:
The New York Immigration Coalition says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered the home without a warrant while searching for a man who does not live there.Â
The group describes the encounter as a “home invasion,” citing the mother’s pleas in the 18-second video as she holds her 2-year-old child.
In the video, agents can be heard ordering the woman to come out of the bedroom while she tells them she has her baby in her arms. The coalition says a 12-year-old child was also present at the time.
Neighbors thought there was a home invasion
NYPD officers arrived at the home shortly after, responding to neighbors who believed a robbery was taking place. Officers were reportedly waved off by ICE agents at the scene.
DHS denies wrongdoing
The other side:
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security disputed the claims, telling FOX 5 NY that “any allegation that ICE officers threatened a woman and her children with a firearm is false.”Â
The spokesperson said officers knocked for about 20 minutes before lawfully entering the residence using their training and procedures.
According to DHS, the woman in the video is a cousin of the person being sought, who officials say has a criminal history that includes assault, reckless driving, and illegal entry into the country.
What’s next:
Advocates are calling for an investigation into the agents’ conduct and reminding residents that, by law, individuals do not have to open their doors to ICE agents unless they present a valid warrant signed by a judge.
The Source: This article is based on reporting by FOX 5 NY’s Jessica Formoso.Â