Chelsea family sues ICE for detaining father on Mother's Day
May 11, 2025·Location: Chelsea, MA
Country of origin: Guatemala

ICE agents surrounded a family's vehicle on Mother's Day, smashed the passenger window, and detained Daniel Flores-Martinez in front of his wife and three children as they drove to church. The agents used unmarked vehicles, some wore vests labeled "police" while others were unmarked, and did not provide a warrant or explain why Flores-Martinez was being arrested. The family filed a complaint seeking $1 million in damages, alleging violations of Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights and that the agents deliberately chose to arrest Flores-Martinez while he was with his family. ICE agents conducted a vehicle stop in Chelsea on Friday morning to detain Jose Ramírez-Perez, who was in the country illegally and facing felony charges. During the stop, agents forcefully detained multiple family members including Hilda Ramírez, a legal permanent resident and mother of a 13-year-old U.S. citizen with autism. Video footage shows agents pressing and dragging Ramírez to the ground, breaking car windows, and temporarily detaining her son, resulting in hospitalization for both mother and child.
Sources
- 'Treated like an animal': Chelsea family sues ICE for taking father in front of children
boston.com·Jun 5, 2025·archived copy
- Chelsea family says ICE violently detained multiple family members, including permanent resident, at vehicle stop
Boston Globe·Sep 27, 2025·archived copy
- CourtListener
- CourtListener
- Flores Ramirez v. Venturella, 1:26-cv-02365
- CourtListener
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