Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a raid in New York, terrifying a mother and her four U.S.-born children. The incident occurred when agents, without a warrant, forced their way into the home and began threatening them with firearms. They were searching for the woman's cousin, who has not lived with the family for two years. When the woman stated that her children were U.S. citizens, the agents threatened her with deportation and calling Child Protective Services. Under duress, she called her cousin, who agreed to turn himself in to immigration authorities the following week. During the raid, agents dragged the woman by her hair and pointed a rifle at her 13-year-old daughter. According to the woman's account, the agents banged on the doors and windows for half an hour, yelling for them to open up. The children are traumatized and fear leaving their mother to go to school. Experts and civil rights organizations have repeatedly denounced ICE for conducting similar raids, separating families even when the children are American citizens.
