The wife of a man in federal custody said that her husband was arrested by immigration agents a few days after the birth of their daughter. The case occurs amid federal operations against irregular immigration in the United States.

Authorities have confirmed that, in addition to undocumented persons, immigrants with valid documents have also been detained, including holders of green cards and visas. has documented multiple arrests of applicants and legal residents during ICE raids, according to Newsweek.

Tomas Salas Zaragoza, 43, a construction worker, was arrested on October 27, 2024, in Duncanville, Alabama, following a domestic disturbance, according to his wife, Juana Gutierrez. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said he faces charges of assault, obstruction of justice, and resisting the law.

According to DHS, Zaragoza was handed over to ICE agents after being released from the Tuscaloosa County Jail. He has since been transferred to various prisons, currently remaining at the Jena, Louisiana, detention center. His wife and daughter are U.S. citizens.

A case that continues on appeal

The family explained that Zaragoza arrived in the United States in 2011 with an H-2B work visa, which he never renewed. They also noted that he had no criminal record prior to the incident. His case remains under appeal, federal officials confirmed.

Gutierrez denounced the inhumane conditions at the detention center. She said the immigrants live in overcrowded spaces, with limited access to bathrooms and showers, receive poor-quality food, and face difficulties communicating with their families.

The emotional impact has also been considerable. Zaragoza's father, who receives dialysis, hopes to see him again, while his stepmother handles his care and medical appointments. His wife described feeling "overwhelmed and scared" by her family's situation.

A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek that the government prioritizes the arrest of “the worst immigrant criminals,” including gang members, rapists, and murderers. She added that under current immigration policy, “no place is a safe haven for criminal illegal immigrants.”

For her part, Gutierrez said that during the arrest, three agents violently subdued her husband. She said they restrained him with electric shocks, handcuffed him, and repeatedly hit him in the head, back, and kidneys.

The family shared a message on Change.org, where they underscored Zaragoza’s pain at not being able to be with his daughter. “The worst thing is missing her first year of life and seeing her reach out to him only through a screen,” they wrote.