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Colombian engineer with valid work visa violently detained by ICE, files lawsuit

Jan 23, 2026·Location: Portland, ME

Country of origin: Colombia

Colombian engineer with valid work visa violently detained by ICE, files lawsuit
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Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz, a Colombian civil engineer with a master's degree from the University of Maine and a valid H-1B work visa, was violently detained by ICE agents while driving to work in Portland, Maine. Masked agents in unmarked vehicles surrounded his car, smashed his driver's side window with a crowbar, pointed a Taser at him, and dragged him out despite his attempts to show proof of lawful status, leaving his car running in the street. He was placed in full-body shackles and transported across state lines to an ICE facility in Massachusetts, where he was held for hours in a windowless cell before being released without charges roughly 105 miles from his home. Carvajal-Muñoz, who has no criminal record despite the operation reportedly targeting immigrants with criminal histories, said he continues to fear being detained again. With assistance from the ACLU of Maine, he filed a federal lawsuit against ICE agent Jack Cory Ravencamp and two unidentified agents, alleging excessive force, warrantless arrest, unlawful detention, racial discrimination, and violations of his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.

Timeline

Jan 23, 2026—Reports confirmed he was transported to an ICE facility in Massachusetts and released that evening without charges.
Jan 23, 2026—Carvajal-Muñoz filed a federal lawsuit with help from the ACLU of Maine alleging excessive force and constitutional violations.
Jan 22, 2026—ICE agents smashed the window of Carvajal-Muñoz's car and detained him at Taser point while he drove to work in Portland, Maine.
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