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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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A California woman has accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of assaulting her husband during an arrest in Sunnyvale.
"Our whole family is frightened and outraged by ICE's ongoing violations," Aby Peña said in a statement.
Newsweek has contacted the family's lawyers for comment.
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Why It Matters
The case raises questions about the treatment of detainees by ICE, as well as concerns about due process for immigrants in the U.S.
Immigration policy remains a deeply contested issue in the U.S., particularly following the reelection of President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a platform of mass deportation and strengthening border security. The administration has vowed to conduct the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, targeting the estimated 11.7 million people who are in the country without legal status.
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What To Know
On February 21, ICE agents arrested Ulises Peña Lopez. His wife, Aby Peña, alleges that agents smashed his car window and physically assaulted him.
She said that Ulises was in his vehicle when ICE agents approached, demanding he exit the vehicle.
According to Aby, Ulises remained silent, requested an attorney, and asked for a warrant. She said officers escalated the situation by shattering the window and forcibly removing him.
Ulises suffers from severe medical conditions, including a blood clot in his neck, a heart condition, a spinal disorder, and knee injuries, per a GoFundMe shared by his family.
His wife said he collapsed from the trauma and was hospitalized, where he was allegedly "shackled" to his bed.
"It is very sad to see him like this and it is also scary because I know that he is in poor health," Aby Pena told Telemundo. "He can't feel half of his face, it's numb, as well as his right hand and arm, and right now he feels tingling in his right leg and foot."
After the encounter, Ulises was admitted to Camino Health in Mountain View. It was the last time his wife saw him, according to a report by Telemundo. He was later transferred to the Golden State Annex immigration detention center in McFarland, where his family says he is being held in isolation. Ulises' family said that he has a neurological condition requiring daily medication and check-ups, which they fear he may not receive on time.
An ICE spokesperson told Newsweek: "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is aware of news and social media accounts with reports on the recent arrest of illegal alien Ulises Pena-Lopez which are inaccurate and not supported by facts.
"Pena, 30, is a citizen of Mexico who was arrested by ICE officials Feb. 21 in Sunnyvale, California, as part of a targeted enforcement action. ICE officers contacted Pena while he was in his vehicle. Pena initially refused officers' instructions but eventually exited his vehicle unassisted and was fully cooperative as arresting officers took him into custody. Pena experienced a non-specific medical emergency during the arrest, and an ICE agent initiated emergency medical care until he could be transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for evaluation. Pena was admitted to that hospital for observation, but no specific injury was found, and he was discharged into ICE custody Feb. 22."
Pena was deported from the U.S. in November 2013 but reentered the country illegally at an unknown time and location, according to ICE. His criminal record includes a conviction for disregarding safety and evading police in November 2016 in San Luis Obispo County, assault with a deadly weapon using force in March 2020 in Santa Clara County and driving under the influence in September 2020 in Palo Alto.
What People Are Saying
Ulises Peña Lopez's wife, Aby, in a statement: "We demand freedom for Ulises and accountability for ICE's abuses! ICE should release my husband so that he can heal and recover at home with us. Our 3-year-old daughter and I love and need him, and so does the rest of his family and community."
Elena Hodges, an immigration attorney, in a statement: "From the beginning of our emergency activation in support of Mr. Peña Lopez and his family, ICE has been committing one constitutional violation after another.
"From the violent and illegal circumstances of the arrest, to denials of access to necessary medication, appropriate medical care, food, and water, to the ongoing denial of access to counsel and the use of solitary confinement, ICE's abuses are ongoing. At the same time, Ulises, his family, and his community are fighting back to demand that ICE free Ulises and to make sure that ICE is held accountable."
What Happens Next
Legal advocates are pushing for Ulises' immediate release on medical and humanitarian grounds.
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