"Four locations were searched about 3 a.m. Wednesday, including the home and business of volunteer Leo Martinez, who said federal agents pointed guns at him and his mother during the search, but made no arrests. Agents took cellphones and laptops, as well as T-shirts and skateboard decks with the logo for VC Defensa, a volunteer-based group that has been documenting immigration raids and detentions in Ventura County."
"During a news conference Wednesday, members of VC Defensa and their attorney, Reem Yassin, said they were looking at the possibility of legal action against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for alleged ongoing harassment targeting members for what they said were legal activities monitoring and documenting immigration raids in their community. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that search warrants were executed in relation to VC Defensa but did not answer questions about the nature of the investigation."
""On May 13, [Homeland Security Investigations] executed several search warrants on individuals associated with an anti-ICE organization," a Homeland Security spokesperson said in an email. "Several members of this organization have been previously arrested for ambushing federal law enforcement and destruction of government property. Several items were seized as part of the search warrants." The spokesperson did not address questions regarding whether the raids were done in retaliation for the group's monitoring of immigration raids."
""We have nothing to hide," Martinez said in an interview. "If they had access to all of our messaging going back to the beginning, there's nothing in there.""
Federal agents conducted early-morning searches of homes and a business connected to VC Defensa, a volunteer group documenting immigration raids and detentions in Ventura County. Four locations were searched around 3 a.m. Wednesday, including the home and business of volunteer Leo Martinez, who said agents pointed guns at him and his mother and made no arrests. Agents seized cellphones and laptops, along with VC Defensa T-shirts and skateboard decks. VC Defensa members and their attorney said they are considering legal action against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for alleged ongoing harassment tied to legal monitoring activities. Homeland Security confirmed warrants were executed but did not describe the investigation’s nature, stating some associated individuals had prior arrests for ambushing federal law enforcement and destroying government property.
#immigration-enforcement #federal-raids #civil-rights-activism #homeland-security-investigations #ventura-county
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