Một nhân viên quan sát của ICE đã kiện sau khi bị còng tay ở San Jose.

It never crossed former San Jose resident Yesenia Campos’ mind she would be detained by federal immigration agents for recording activity from a distance.

On Oct. 30, 2025, Campos was notified of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity at the South San Jose field office, where immigrants periodically check-in for compliance. She immediately drove to the office to act as an observer, with her 2-year-old daughter in tow. The ensuing altercation Campos had with an agent as she recorded video on her phone triggered her past trauma as a sexual assault survivor, according to her lawsuit filed Monday in San Jose at the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California.

“I was scared,” Campos, 36, told San José Spotlight. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, they are really about to take me’ because they had me in handcuffs.”

Campos felt compelled to join the Santa Clara County Mạng phản hồi nhanh, composed of volunteers who document ICE activity, as reports of agents acting with impunity mounted. When she connected with the network last summer, ICE had deployed in Los Angeles, resulting in weeks of violent clashes with protesters and the National Guard being called in to provide reinforcement.

Though the scale of immigration enforcement wasn’t equivalent in Santa Clara County, Campos said it felt close to home as a Latina. She said she saw how the government tried to control the narrative of what happened during ICE deployments, which made documenting incidents more vital. Her convictions are what drove her to become active in helping monitor her community, and what led to her being detained last fall.

As Campos stationed herself outside the field office to observe, an ICE van entered the parking lot. Campos began recording from the sidewalk. Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer Douglas Plummer then came outside the field office and positioned himself in front of her, obstructing her ability to record, according to the lawsuit — which claims Campos didn’t interfere with the operations.

The lawsuit alleges Plummer told Campos to back up, and without giving her time to respond pushed against her. He grabbed Campos’ arm that held her phone, causing it to fling out of her hand. He slammed her against her car, where another agent handcuffed her. It left her with bruises on her arms and legs, and marks on her wrist. Her 2-year-old daughter was in the car and witnessed the encounter.

Campos was detained for 30 minutes before being released and told she would receive a call about her charges in the coming days. There were no calls following her release and she has yet to be charged, according to the lawsuit.

Campos said she doesn’t like to stay silent when injustice occurs, which inspired her to pursue the lawsuit.

“This lawsuit is not just for me, it’s for the people who stand up for those who can’t do it themselves,” Campos said. “It’s important for us as people to hold them accountable to that. It’s important for us to also advocate for justice for the community.”

ICE spokesperson Jason B. Sweeny said the agency will “uphold the rule of law” and protect its officers.

“The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly, not rioting,” Sweeny told San José Spotlight. “DHS law enforcement will continue to enforce the laws of our nation, just as they do every day across the country. We will address any use of force lawsuit with the court, not the media.”

Jacklyn Alonzo, a spokesperson for the Rapid Response Network, said Campos’ experience shows why ICE observers are vital.

“When government agents operate without transparency or accountability, trained community witnesses help ensure that abuses cannot be hidden,” Alonzo told San José Spotlight. “Attempts to intimidate our volunteers will not deter us from protecting our neighbors, documenting injustice and standing alongside families affected by immigration enforcement.”

Campos is not aware of other observers in Santa Clara County who have been detained or are pursuing legal remedies, though others in the U.S. have sued the federal administration for violating their First Amendment rights.

Last year, the Los Angeles Press Club, independent journalists and a legal observer brought legal action against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after agents used tear gas and stun grenades chống lại người biểu tình.

In July, a federal court issued an injunction blocking DHS agents from using force to obstruct journalists, observers or members of the public from documenting immigration enforcement operations.

Julie Mao, senior staff attorney at Just Futures Law who is representing Campos, said they must continue to hold the government accountable.

“We cannot let ICE continue to unlawfully retaliate and intimidate people who exercise their constitutional right to record and observe law enforcement,” Mao told San José Spotlight. “We thank our client for her courage to stand up to defend her and the community’s rights.”

Campos said she was able to remain calm during the encounter despite being a sexual assault survivor, and felt relieved she was able to go home to her family. But the emotional toll for people taken to detention centers lingers.

ICE detention facilities have been rife with alleged human rights violations, with reports of inhumane living conditions, lạm dụng tình dục, thực phẩm không hợp vệ sinh và chăm sóc y tế không đầy đủ.

“I remember this person that they loaded onto the van was a woman, and I’m like, does she have children?” Campos said. “They’re being taken from their home, and they’re being put into these facilities where they’re not getting the care that they need. They’re probably not being fed, they’re probably barely getting any water.”

Campos sees a gap in the immigration system where people don’t have a place to go for services after being released from detention. She said funding should exist for social workers to follow up with people upon release and for immigrants to get health screenings.

Beyond obtaining justice for her case, Campos wants to inspire others to stand up and speak out against wrongdoing.

“Every change in our history is because the people did something about it,” Campos said. “We spoke up. We took to the streets. We voted. We got women’s rights. That’s how we have civil rights, (how) desegregation happened. Because the people did something about it, and so that’s what I’m hoping this encourages in the future.”

Liên hệ với Joyce Chu qua địa chỉ [email protected] hoặc @joyce_speaks trên X.