LULAC CONDEMNS WARRANTLESS DETENTION OF IMMIGRANT MOTHER IN NEW ORLEANS
The
nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights group warns that
today's actions by ICE are the latest in a campaign violating
constitutional protections.
Washington,
DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) strongly
condemns the warrantless detention of Vilma Cruz (pictured in yellow
shirt), a 38-year-old Honduran immigrant and single mother, taken into
custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday morning
in Kenner, Louisiana. Cruz, who has lived in the United States for more
than 20 years, was approached by an ICE agent between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m.
while sitting in her vehicle outside the home she is preparing to move
into.
According
to family accounts, Cruz refused to open her window, and within minutes
her car was surrounded by ICE agents. Officers broke her window,
forcibly removed her from the vehicle, and detained her without
presenting a judicial warrant. No information on her status has been
posted on the ICE detainee locator, leaving her family in the dark. Cruz
works in the skilled trades as a painter and is the sole provider for
her two U.S.-born children, an 18-year-old son and a 9-year-old
daughter. Her children now face the afternoon school bell with no
parents returning home.
"What
happened to Vilma Cruz is indefensible," said Roman Palomares, LULAC
National President and Chairman of the Board. "A mother who has lived in
this country for over two decades was seized without a warrant while
preparing to move into a new home. Breaking her car window, surrounding
her with agents, and removing her in front of neighbors is not law
enforcement; it is intimidation. This is part of a widening pattern of
targeting non-criminal Latinos, and now New Orleans has become the
latest epicenter. We are calling for a full review of this detention,
the authority used, and the conduct of the officers involved."
LULAC
officials say this case reflects the escalating fear being reported
nationwide. The family's oldest son recovered the vehicle, and community
members are coordinating care to ensure his younger sister is safely
picked up from school at 3:30 p.m.
"Our
national office is hearing from families across the country every
single day," said Juan Proaño, LULAC Chief Executive Officer. "People
are terrified, and they are reaching out to LULAC because they trust our
96-year history of defending civil rights. Cases like Vilma's show a
dangerous shift—warrantless detentions becoming routine, and families
torn apart without due process. We cannot allow this to become the new
normal in the United States."
LULAC
is urging Americans to contact their elected officials immediately and
oppose the expansion of warrantless detentions. The organization
reiterates its non-partisan commitment to the fair and equal application
of the law and the protection of constitutionally guaranteed civil
rights for every person in the country.
In addition, we’ve launched a campaign to support Vilma Cruz and her family. You can make a donation at LULAC LDF and GoFundMe today.
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