Man arrested by ICE in front of children may be transferred to West Coast detention center
BOWIE, Md. — A Prince George’s County father arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in front of his young children may soon be transferred to a detention center in California, according to his family.
The man, who was taken into custody Wednesday morning in the Pointer Ridge neighborhood of Bowie, remains detained following a bond hearing on Friday. His wife, Dania Bautista, told WUSA9 he is currently being held in Baltimore and that authorities have informed the family he will be moved to the West Coast.
“I just hope he returns home — we need him to be home,” Bautista said.
The arrest occurred as the man was driving his children to school. Bautista, who filmed part of the incident on her cellphone, said ICE agents approached their family minivan, pulled her husband from the vehicle, and threw him to the ground.
“They were basically pulling him out of the car very aggressively; they threw him on the floor. Like they didn’t even care,” she said.
ICE agents reportedly claimed the man attempted to flee, but the video recorded by Bautista does not appear to show that.
The family said he currently holds a work permit and has a pending I-130 petition, filed in February 2024, as part of the process to obtain legal immigration status. They have not received updates on the petition’s progress.
Following WUSA9’s initial report on the arrest, community leaders and immigration advocates expressed concern over the incident and the broader implications for immigrant families in the area.
Prince George’s County Council Vice Chair Krystal Oriadha said the situation reflects a growing fear in immigrant communities.
“We’re angry about what’s going on in our community,” Oriadha said. “The county government is with you — we feel your fear. As many know, for the first time, we have three daughters of immigrants serving on the county council, and this is something that’s not foreign to us.”
Legal experts also raised concerns about how ICE targets individuals for enforcement.
“It’s actually not surprising that ICE is going after the people who are most compliant with the law,” said Cori Alonso-Yoder, director of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. “They are the people who are easiest for ICE to encounter and to enforce upon.”
Alonso-Yoder, who is currently attending a conference for international municipal lawyers in New Orleans, emphasized the importance of knowing one’s rights during ICE encounters.
“It’s important to have evidence of your lawful status in the United States, if you have it,” she said. “If you are unable to demonstrate your lawful status, it’s your right to maintain your silence.”
She added that individuals have the right to request identification from ICE officers — a right Bautista said was ignored during her husband’s arrest.
“It’s important to document when ICE agents are not identifying themselves,” Alonso-Yoder said. “Especially if you’re recording, ask, ‘Are you refusing to identify yourself?’ Get that documented and on the record.”
WUSA9 reached out to ICE multiple times for comment, but has not received a response.