The activist says the video shows ICE hitting his truck. ICE says the opposite

A video that appears to show federal immigration agents using their car to pull over an immigrant rights activist’s truck has sparked controversy and public outrage in Oxnard, a farming town that has been the target of immigration raids.

At the center of the controversy is what federal agents claim was the active shooter, breaking into their car.

The incident began shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents notified the Oxnard Police Department that their vehicle had collided with a civilian vehicle near 8th and A streets, according to Sgt. Martin Cook.

“We responded, and ICE agents took a person into custody, and people started gathering,” Cook said. Cook said. “We were there to keep the peace and avoid any conflict with ICE or any other federal agency.”

Cook said federal agencies have taken over the investigation. He did not know whether the person arrested by agents requested a police report and referred all questions to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees agencies including ICE and Customs and Border Protection.

VC Defensa, a migrant rights group that documents migrant attacks in the region, said Instagram One of her volunteers, identified by the group as Leo Martinez, was arrested.

The group also released video taken by witnesses who said the federal agents’ accusations against Martinez were false.

“ICE intentionally entered Leo’s truck and blocked his exit while Leo was exercising his right to observe ICE activity,” the group said in its Instagram post.

The video begins with a Jeep Cherokee, a dark gray truck with tinted windows, slamming into the passenger door on the driver’s side. The truck driver then pulls up to the wreckage, where the gang says Martinez is arrested.

“This shameful escalation by ICE is nothing more than an attempt to scare the conscience of those who stand against Trump’s attack on immigrants,” the group said on Instagram. “We will not give up, and we will continue to keep our communities safe.”

The incident is the latest controversy involving federal immigration agents that has not only sparked anger among activists and residents but also raised questions about some of the claims it has already made.

Two months ago, federal immigration officers detained Francisco Longoria in San Bernardino. During the standoff, Longoria, who was in the truck with her 18-year-old son and 23-year-old son-in-law, said she feared for their safety and fled after masked officers smashed the window of her car and shot one officer. Several stages in the truck.

Homeland Security officials said the officers were injured during the confrontation when Longoria tried to “run them off,” prompting one officer to “drop his weapon in self-defense.”

Attorneys for Longoria disputed that their client has and has injured or attempted to hit the officers He called for an investigation into the shooting.

In June, Arturo was Hermosillo Accused of crashing his van into the car of a federal agent When he was instructed by agents to move his van back to make room for an ambulance for a woman who had been injured during immigration.

Hermosillo turned around when he said a federal agent standing near the car knocked on his side-view mirror, blocking his view. Hermosillo then crashed into a car behind him. A short time later, agents pulled him out of the van.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an email to The Times at the time that one person “rammed his vehicle into a law enforcement vehicle” during the June 19 operation.

“CBP agents were also shot and verbally abused during the operation,” she said.

Videos from that day did not capture any of the attacks; They showed residents yelling at the agents.

The incident in Oxnard echoes the level of aggression by federal agents seen on the streets of Chicago.

A Chicago-area mayor said ICE agents used excessive force during the arrest at the cemetery. A priest who was protesting in the detention center was shot in the head with pepper spray. Tormented by the conflict between the agents and the common people, one A federal judge is considering ordering agents to wear body cameras.

Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment from The Times. However, in a statement to CNN, the department said it claims the agency is using “hard-line tactics” against federal agents who “put their lives on the line every day to enforce the law.”

On Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, outside the Metropolitan Detention Center where people gathered with signs that read “Free Live Now!” and “ICE Out of LA,” members of the public listened to Martinez as he thanked them for their support and work.

“I knew I didn’t do anything wrong; that’s why they released me with the rest of the charges,” he told the crowd. “This is what they are doing to many of our volunteers because we have done nothing wrong.

“They hit me,” he continued as the crowd clapped. “And then they tried to accuse me of assaulting them, what kind of bullshit is that?”