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Disabled carpenter beaten unconscious by ICE, shackled in hospital, deported after months in detention

Jul 7, 2026·Location: Sunnyvale, CA

Country of origin: Mexico

Disabled carpenter beaten unconscious by ICE, shackled in hospital, deported after months in detention
Photo via Instagram

Ulises Peña López, a 30-year-old Mexican carpenter and father living in Sunnyvale, California, with pre-existing conditions including a mini-stroke, blood clot, heart condition, and spinal and knee injuries, was surrounded by armed ICE agents outside his home in late February 2025. Agents smashed his truck window, pulled him out at gunpoint, and beat him unconscious in an alleyway while his wife Aby and young daughter watched, according to a federal lawsuit filed by his family with Disability Law United and Pangea Legal Services. He was hospitalized in Mountain View and allegedly shackled to his bed, with nurses passing him written notes to avoid ICE surveillance; his wife said he lost feeling in half his face and parts of his right side. During months in detention at Golden State Annex, California City Detention Facility, and other GEO Group and CoreCivic-run facilities, staff allegedly denied him a cane, hearing aids, medication, and other disability accommodations, and mocked him when he filed grievances. He was deported to Mexico in October 2025, where he says he is living in hiding, while his wife has been diagnosed with PTSD and their daughter has shown developmental regression. The family's lawsuit against DHS, ICE, GEO Group, and CoreCivic alleges civil rights, due process, and disability rights violations.

Timeline

Oct 1, 2025—Deported to Mexico after months in ICE detention facilities
Oct 1, 2025—Family files federal lawsuit against DHS, ICE, GEO Group, and CoreCivic alleging civil rights and disability violations
Feb 22, 2025—Surrounded by ICE agents outside his home, beaten unconscious in an alleyway
Feb 22, 2025—Hospitalized in Mountain View and allegedly shackled to his bed
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