Dozens of protesters gathered Tuesday in Pico Rivera to call for the release of a man who was detained by federal agents in the parking lot of a Walmart earlier in the day.
A video captured several armed agents arriving in the parking lot of a Walmart shopping center. They were seen shouting in an argument with some bystanders as three agents shoved a man in a Walmart vest to the ground then took him into custody. Other agents were seen yelling at bystanders who were recording them.
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WATCH HEREThe man's mother, Myra Villareal, said she rushed to her son's workplace after learning about what happened. She said her son is a U.S. citizen.
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SIGN UP "I was mad, sad, scared, you know? Because I don't know how he is because they were hitting him and they were pushing him, so I hope he's OK," Villareal said of her son, Adrian.
Villareal said her son was detained for allegedly assaulting a federal agent.
"I came to Walmart to get his possessions and then I just wanted answers," she said. "Like, what's going on? Where's my son?"
In a post Thursday on X, the U.S. Attorney's Office said the 20-year-old man is accused of punching a border patrol agent in the face after "he attempted to impede their immigration enforcement operation."
In a press release on Tuesday, the city confirmed reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers executing operations in Pico Rivera. The city assured the public that it does not cooperate or support federal immigration enforcement operations.
“Pico Rivera is proud to be a diverse and inclusive community,” its statement read. “Our immigrant families are a vital part of the cultural, social, and economic fabric of our city. We condemn actions that disrupt families, spread fear, and create division. This stance has not, and will not, change.”
A street vendor, who preferred not to be identified, arrived shortly after the detainment and said they were disheartened by the operation.
“It’s not fair because what they’re doing to our community, to our people, to them – it makes me angry and sad,” the vendor said to Telemundo 52, NBC4’s sister station.
Witnesses said federal agents were also spotted in the parking lot of a Northgate supermarket. It’s unclear how many people the agency detained in the city.
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 have reached out to ICE for comment.
