Chelsea Mother Accuses ICE Agents of Brutality in Early Morning Raid

A harrowing pre-dawn raid in Chelsea has left a local mother traumatized, accusing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of using excessive force during the arrest of her partner. Maria Rodriguez recounts a terrifying experience from May 21, when heavily armed agents allegedly smashed through her apartment door without warning, deploying pepper spray and terrifying her young children.

Rodriguez, a 34-year-old mother, claims the agents, some of whom she says wore masks, burst into her family's home around 5 a.m.

Her partner, Edgar Barrientos, 36, was the target of the operation. She insists that the agents' methods were unwarranted, especially given the presence of her two children, aged 5 and 7, who were sleeping in the apartment.

“They didn’t knock, they didn’t announce themselves,” Rodriguez tearfully stated in an interview.

“They just came in, broke the door, sprayed us, and pointed guns at us. My children were screaming.” She detailed how her apartment was filled with pepper spray, forcing her to rush her coughing and crying children out of the apartment to escape the fumes.

Barrientos, who has been in the country for 17 years and is a father of three, was arrested on immigration charges.

ICE later confirmed that agents from its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston field office arrested Barrientos, stating he is an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala with a criminal record that includes a prior conviction for assault and battery on a family member, and a pending assault and battery case.

ICE maintains its agents used “appropriate force” during the arrest.

However, Rodriguez and her legal team dispute ICE's characterization of the event and the use of force. They argue that Barrientos was not a flight risk and there was no justification for such an aggressive entry or the use of pepper spray, especially given the children's presence.

“Even if they had a warrant, their actions were completely disproportionate and illegal,” said a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts, which is providing legal assistance to Rodriguez.

The incident has sparked outrage among immigrant rights advocates and community leaders in Chelsea.

Many are calling for a full investigation into ICE's tactics, emphasizing the need for accountability and respect for human rights, even during enforcement actions. Critics argue that such aggressive raids only serve to instill fear within immigrant communities, making residents less likely to cooperate with law enforcement on other matters.

Rodriguez is now pursuing legal avenues, exploring options to challenge her partner's detention and seek justice for what she describes as a traumatic violation of her family's home and safety.

This case reignites the ongoing debate about the scope and limits of immigration enforcement powers and the impact of such operations on vulnerable communities.