U.S. citizen Andrea Velez detained by ICE during street sweep, denied water, later released on bond
Oct 26, 2025·Location: Los Angeles, CA

Andrea Guadalupe Velez, a 32-year-old U.S. citizen and Cal Poly Pomona graduate, was detained by ICE agents in downtown Los Angeles on June 24, 2025, when she was dropped off at work during a street sweep operation targeting vendors. Agents arrested her after she stepped into the path of an officer attempting to apprehend another individual. Velez was charged with assaulting a federal officer and reported being denied water for 24 hours while held at a detention center and unable to contact the outside world for much of her detention, which lasted more than two days. A federal judge ordered her released on $5,000 bond. The Justice Department later dismissed her case without prejudice. On August 20, Velez filed a federal tort claim alleging racial profiling and wrongful arrest; she is one of six claimants represented by the Carrillo Law Firm alleging similar misconduct by ICE and Border Patrol in Southern California.
Timeline
Sources
- U.S. citizen detained by ICE in L.A. says she wasn't given water for 24 hours
NBC News·Aug 12, 2025·archived copy
NBC News·Aug 12, 2025·archived copy
- U.S citizen detained by ICE says she was denied water for 24 hours
- 'You gonna let him die?' Agents pile on protester, who convulses and struggles to breathe
Los Angeles Times·Jun 27, 2025·archived copy
- Man appears to have a seizure as ICE arrests his wife, but officials disagree
Associated Press·Nov 8, 2025·archived copy
- More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
ProPublica·Oct 16, 2025·archived copy
- US citizen detained by ICE was held without water for 24 hours, she says
nbcsandiego.com·Aug 11, 2025·archived copy
nbcbayarea.com·Aug 11, 2025·archived copy
- latestnewstodays.pages.dev
- ICE is arresting US citizens for ‘impeding’ their operations | CNN Politics
- Federal agents arrest US citizen for 24 hours after ICE protest outside SF immigration building
abc7news.com·Aug 22, 2025·archived copy
- A U.S. citizen detained by ICE is pushing to hold agents accountable
- US Citizen and SF Native Arrested by ICE After Protest
sfist.com·Aug 22, 2025·archived copy
- Sacramento Bee
- kansascity.com
- ICE keeps detaining pregnant immigrants — against federal policy
WLRN·Oct 27, 2025·archived copy
- 19thnews.org
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