Juanita Avila, originally from Guatemala and a resident of Oregon since 2014, claims to have been a victim of racial discrimination during an operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on November 5. Initially, she thought she was being kidnapped when she saw police lights flashing in her rearview mirror while driving on Highway 99 in Cottage Grove. When her vehicle was pulled over, Avila recounted that a federal agent dressed in green identified himself as a police officer, which caused confusion and fear. Another man, his face covered by a mask, asked her where she was born. “The other guy said, ‘Well, we’re the officers and you’re under arrest,’” Avila recalled in a message to Newsweek. Footage shows Avila screaming as she accuses the officers of falsifying her identity. Moments earlier, she had tried to record the interaction with her phone. According to her testimony, she was dragged from her car and thrown to the ground while her 19-year-old daughter, Emely Agustin, tried to explain that her mother had permanent resident status. Avila was detained for approximately 30 minutes before being released.

Allegations of racial discrimination and ICE response

Avila maintains that the agents acted because of her Hispanic origin and the type of vehicle she was driving. “They were stopping vans and trucks that were on their way to work,” she stated. For its part, ICE denied that it randomly selected people, indicating that the operations are carried out “in accordance with the law and based on intelligence leads.”

According to Chrissy Cuttita, an ICE spokesperson, during the operations in Cottage Grove and Eugene, ten undocumented immigrants were arrested, all with criminal records, including one with a deportation order. “Anyone without legal immigration status can be subject to arrest and deportation,” she emphasized.

Response from local authorities and legislators

The Cottage Grove Police Department clarified that it did not participate in the operation nor did it request resources from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Police Chief Cory Chase assured that his department continues to comply with Oregon laws and local immigration policy.

Several Democratic legislators, including Representative Val Hoyle and Senator Ron Wyden, issued a joint statement condemning the ICE operations, calling Avila's arrest aggressive and a violation of constitutional rights. "Due process and legal representation are being denied," they stated, noting that the operation is part of a series of similar actions across the state.

The incident sparked protests in Cottage Grove, where about 150 people gathered in Coiner Park to support those affected. Her daughter, Emely Agustin, stated: “My mother wasn’t detained on suspicion of a crime, but because she was Latina and driving a pickup truck. They were detaining people of color who were going to work.” Avila recounted that her encounter with ICE occurred while she was on her way to help a friend who had been detained earlier. The woman denounced the use of excessive force and the lack of proper identification by the agents, who ultimately handcuffed her and forced her to kneel on the ground, according to statements collected by Lookout Eugene-Springfield.