The Daily Populous Thursday June 26th, 2025 day edition
Authored by cbsnews.com and submitted by Odd_Vampire

Family members outraged as U.S. citizen detained by federal agents in downtown LA on way to work

The family members of a U.S. citizen who was taken into custody by federal agents in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday are demanding answers as she was detained while on her way to work.

Andrea Velez, a Cal Poly Pomona grad working in merchandising at a shoe company, had just been dropped off by her mother and sister for the workday when they saw her being taken into custody, adding they had barely even driven a block before the arrest began.

"They didn't have vests that said ICE or anything," said Velez's sister Estrella Rosas. "Their cars didn't have license plates."

She says that her mother was driving away when she looked in her rearview mirror at what was described by police as immigration enforcement.

"In the rear mirror she saw my sister was kinda, like, attacked from the back and she was already on the floor," Rosas said.

Video shows a growing crowd of onlookers yelling as officers surround the 32-year-old woman. Her family members were too scared to get out, as Rosas' mother has residency but not full U.S. citizenship.

They're also worried that Velez may have been holding pepper spray, which they say she always carries in her hand when walking downtown, when agents approached her.

Witnesses told CBS News Los Angeles that no one asked for her identification, but her family believes that it was nothing she actually did that led to her arrest, but rather the way she looks.

"Just because of the color of our skin, they think we're criminals," Rosas said. "My sister was there, so they were like, 'Oh, she looks Hispanic, so let's take her too.'"

As of Tuesday night, they have still not been able to find out where Velez is being held and are worried it could be days before they finally do.

On Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Velez "was arrested for assaulting an ICE enforcement officer."

"Secretary Noem has been clear: if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Our ICE officers are now facing a 500 percent increase in assaults against them while they carry out enforcement operations," McLaughlin said. "This U.S. citizen not only punched a law enforcement officer but kept ICE law enforcement from arresting the target illegal alien of their operation."

Some of the video circulating online, showing Velez's arrest, also shows a group of Los Angeles police who appear to be aiding federal agents in the immigration operations.

Later Tuesday, officers told CBS News Los Angeles that they were called to the area after receiving a 911 call reporting a kidnapping at the location. When they arrived, they say that they saw that a federal immigration operation was underway and stayed to maintain peace because they were concerned by the growing crowd and the federal agents.

RetiredHotBitch on June 25th, 2025 at 23:39 UTC »

Wait so they have no fucking clue who is a citizen, who isn’t, it’s a snatch and grab and now her family doesn’t know where she’s at?

For one, I’m surprised that gunfire hasn’t happened yet with someone fighting back.

And these people don’t identify themselves, are in plain clothes and masks. How can anyone know who they are? What’s to stop Joe Nobody on the street from the same thing? I could see women and children being kidnapped, rapes, trafficking (even though that’s what this is now)…

I’m getting to the point I’m afraid to go out with my kids.

Delmarvablacksmith on June 25th, 2025 at 23:16 UTC »

So cops were called and didn’t assist the US citizens that were being disappeared by armed, un identified men. Typical.

fxkatt on June 25th, 2025 at 23:15 UTC »

"They didn't have vests that said ICE or anything," said Velez's sister Estrella Rosas. "Their cars didn't have license plates."

The new U.S. of America. Cars with no plates & some guys making arrests. This was reported to the police as a kidnapping. What else could they say?