Los Angeles, CA — A heavily pregnant U.S. citizen was hospitalized Sunday night after an altercation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents left her physically shaken and in abdominal pain, raising concerns about the treatment of civilians during federal immigration enforcement operations.
Cary López Alvarado, 28, who is nine months pregnant and due to give birth within the week, was arrested during a tense confrontation between immigration officers and a group of people in a private parking lot in Los Angeles. According to video footage and multiple eyewitness accounts, López Alvarado was pushed by ICE agents after she refused to step aside during the arrest of two undocumented immigrants — one of whom is her partner, Brian Nájera.
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- 1 What Happened?
- 2 Hospitalized Following Arrest
- 3 ICE Defends Actions
- 4 Wider Context: Tensions Over ICE Tactics
- 5 Legal Questions Ahead
- 6 What Comes Next?
What Happened?
The incident unfolded during a volatile weekend of anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. ICE and Border Patrol agents were reportedly pursuing a white pickup truck carrying two Guatemalan nationals suspected of being in the country illegally. The vehicle was followed into a gated private parking area, where López Alvarado and her cousin, Alberto Sandoval — both U.S. citizens — were present.
López Alvarado opened the gate to let the truck in. Shortly after, the group was surrounded by immigration agents. Video recorded by López Alvarado shows her attempting to block access to the building, stating firmly, “This is private property. I need you guys to leave.”
In the video, an ICE agent responds, “You are interfering with my arrest,” before agents begin attempting to forcefully open the gate.
López Alvarado refused to move, citing her pregnancy and asserting her rights as a U.S. citizen. Despite her protests and visibly pregnant condition, officers arrested her — an act she says caused her to lose balance and left her in fear for her safety and that of her unborn child.
Hospitalized Following Arrest
“I can’t fight back; I’m pregnant,” she was heard saying as officers apprehended her. Moments later, witnesses reportedly shouted at agents to release her as she was led away in handcuffs.
After being briefly held, López Alvarado was released and returned home. However, she says she began experiencing sharp abdominal pain soon after the ordeal and was taken to the hospital, where doctors monitored her and her baby overnight.
“I was afraid that they were going to hurt me,” she said from her hospital bed Monday, adding that she was terrified throughout the arrest. Medical professionals later cleared her for discharge, but she is being monitored closely as she nears her due date of June 17.
ICE Defends Actions
In a statement provided to NBC News, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said López Alvarado was arrested for obstructing the arrest of “two Guatemalan illegal aliens.”
The department also alleged that immigration agents were assaulted during the incident and confirmed that one additional person — believed to be Sandoval — was taken into custody on assault charges.
McLaughlin defended the agents’ actions as appropriate under the circumstances and stated that any injuries or distress would be evaluated through standard internal review processes.
However, López Alvarado maintains that no physical aggression came from her or Sandoval and says she was never given any paperwork or citation for the arrest. “I wasn’t resisting. I was scared and trying to protect myself and my baby,” she said.
Wider Context: Tensions Over ICE Tactics
The arrest has quickly become emblematic of growing concerns about the aggressiveness of ICE operations, particularly in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods and during heightened political tension surrounding immigration enforcement.
Civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have condemned the use of force in situations involving non-threatening individuals — especially citizens and vulnerable populations such as pregnant women.
“This kind of enforcement not only risks serious harm to innocent people, but it also erodes trust between communities and law enforcement,” said a spokesperson for the Southern California Immigrant Rights Alliance. “The fact that a U.S. citizen, pregnant and clearly in distress, ended up in handcuffs and the hospital is unconscionable.”
Legal Questions Ahead
As of now, López Alvarado says she has not received formal charges or documentation related to her brief detention. Legal experts say that could present a constitutional issue.
“If no citation or paperwork is provided, and she was not informed of her rights, then this arrest may constitute an unlawful detainment,” said Professor Alan Cummings, an immigration law specialist at UCLA. “This will certainly face legal scrutiny.”
Sandoval remains in ICE custody and is facing an investigation over alleged physical interference during the arrests. The Guatemalan nationals, including Nájera, are also being held pending deportation proceedings.
What Comes Next?
López Alvarado says her priority is the health of her baby, but she plans to speak with legal counsel about the possibility of filing a complaint or civil suit.
“I just want to feel safe in my own country,” she said. “I was born here. I did nothing wrong. And yet I was treated like a criminal — like I didn’t belong.”
