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Matilde G.: Diabetic Los Angeles tamale vendor restrained by ICE agents, undergoes heart surgery

Matilde Garduño, a tamale vendor on the same Los Angeles corner for 13 years, collapsed after agents restrained her while she packed up her cart. She later had heart surgery and says she now has nightmares and trouble leaving home.

Jun 25, 2025Los Angeles, CACountry of origin: Mexico

Matilde G.: Diabetic Los Angeles tamale vendor restrained by ICE agents, undergoes heart surgery
Photo via Univision

Matilde Garduño, who has sold tamales from the same Los Angeles street corner for 13 years, says she was grabbed and restrained by immigration agents while packing up her cart after being warned that federal vehicles were nearby. She says agents held her by the arms and torso as she struggled to breathe, eventually collapsing and losing consciousness on the ground. Garduño, who has diabetes and high blood pressure, was taken to a hospital where she received oxygen and underwent heart surgery the next day to clear blocked arteries. She said the experience left her with lasting emotional trauma, including nightmares and an inability to leave her home in the days that followed.

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