A Des Moines man on his way to work the morning of September 9th was pulled over by five unmarked vehicles, had his truck’s windows smashed in, and was detained by ICE agents.
According to immigration advocacy organization Escucha Mi Voz Iowa, Juan Lopez left his home just before 7 a.m. to go to work as a landscaper at Iowa Irrigation in Huxley.
Five unmarked vehicles, later identified as belonging to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents, pulled Lopez over near CrossFit Valley Junction on Southwest 63rd Street.
Alone in his vehicle, Lopez called his partner and mother of his seven children, Laura Becerra, who told Escucha Mi Voz she heard him repeatedly ask why he was being asked to get out of his truck.
Agents then smashed Lopez’s truck windows before removing him from the vehicle.
Lopez is currently being jailed in the Polk County Jail on an ICE detainer. Polk is one of six Iowa counties that agrees to hold ICE detainees.
According to his daughter, Tiffany, Lopez has lived and worked in Des Moines for nearly four decades. She told Escucha Mi Voz the family was “furious.”
“ICE agents smashed his windows, and my mom had to hear it happening over the phone before the call went dead,” Tiffany Lopez was quoted as saying.
Escucha Mi Voz is demanding Lopez’s release, and preservation of any photos and video of the arrest. They’re also asking anyone who may have seen the encounter to get in contact with them at 319-382-5203.
