Guatemalan man beaten by ICE agents wins release after judge rules detention unlawful
Jul 16, 2026·Location: Suffolk, VA
Country of origin: Guatemala

Victor Alfredo Perez Martin, a Guatemalan national, was arrested by ICE on July 6, 2026, outside Sentara BelleHarbour outpatient campus in Suffolk during a targeted enforcement operation. Bystander video documented ICE agents tackling him to the ground and repeatedly striking him with punches and knees to the stomach and back while attempting to handcuff him. ICE initially claimed Perez Martin had accepted voluntary departure, but his attorney James Reyes withdrew that acceptance and requested a notice to appear in immigration court. On July 16, U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles ruled that ICE had detained him under the wrong statute and ordered his release, finding he was entitled to a bond hearing. Perez Martin was released the same day and will proceed with immigration court proceedings where he will seek bond and face removal.
Timeline
Sources
- Federal judge orders ICE to release man arrested outside Sen...
suffolknewsherald.com·Jul 18, 2026·archived copy
- Undocumented immigrant tackled and punched by ICE in viral video fights to stay in Virginia
WTVR·Jul 14, 2026·archived copy
- Man seen arrested in viral video by ICE in Suffolk released from immigration detention
WTKR·Jul 20, 2026·archived copy
- Man seen in viral ICE arrest video speaks publicly for first time after release
WTKR·Jul 23, 2026·archived copy
- 'We are all human': Man at center of viral Suffolk ICE arrest video speaks out
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