Video of a distraught woman being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a Mission Valley hotel parking lot has circulated on social media.
It happened early Thursday morning in the parking lot of the Handlery Hotel along Hotel Circle. The video shows a woman screaming while in handcuffs. Two men are seen making the arrest.
One woman who witnessed the incident told local reporting partner 10News that she tried to calm her coworker because hearing her "screams were terrible." The woman who did not give her name also said the men did not show any ID or identify themselves. "I asked them, 'Do you have a warrant? Why are you taking her?' And all they said was, “Don’t interfere, don’t interfere.” She said her friend is a hard-working single mom to an 11-year-old boy.
The video of the arrest has drawn backlash from immigrant advocates, who say this type of worker shouldn't be targeted
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said, "Brenda Iris Valencia was arrested at the Handlery Hotel for being present in the U.S. after entry without inspection." ICE confirmed that special agents from its Homeland Security Investigations division and officers from Customs and Border Protection responded to make the arrest. "She was given a notice to appear at immigration court and released with an ankle monitor "due to childcare issues," according to ICE.
The San Diego Police Department posted a message about the incident on X (SEE BELOW). It said that "that members of a Federal Maritime Task Force under the Department of Homeland Security carried out the arrest. SDPD emphasized that the department is not a member of the task force and was not involved in the arrest in any way. witness tells me it remains unclear if Valencia will return to work."
(Photo reporting partner 10News)