EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Federal authorities address the New Year’s Eve immigration raid in Far East El Paso that was caught on camera.
According to a spokesperson with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, four migrants from Mexico were apprehended on Dec. 31, near Kingsbury Avenue and Aircoupe Way.
The ICE spokesperson does not reveal the identity of all those who were apprehended, only releasing the identity of one Jose Olvera-Atanacio, who they described as a “criminal illegal alien,” listing some DUI arrests and one DUI conviction from 2002.
Furthermore, ICE stated that Olvera-Atanacio had been deported in 2010 but reportedly reentered multiple times in 2011 and 2012.
Olvera-Atanacio remains in ICE custody pending the removal process.
RELATED: Immigration raid in El Paso neighborhood leaves residents shaken
The immigration raid, which happened at a construction site, rattled people in the area and left them with mixed feelings.
Christian Garcia, a resident, recounted the event, saying, “I saw an unmarked vehicle parked, like, two houses down.”
Garcia described authorities descending on workers off Bob Hope Drive, noting, “He creeped up on the workers. And he already had one guy detained, and he had them by the by his hands, and he already had them by his back, and he wasn’t letting them go.”
Garcia shared footage and photos of the arrests, which included the use of a helicopter, as some men reportedly fled the site.
“There was a bunch of, like, people in military vests and they were identifiable, the officers themselves, it’s just the cars they pulled up and it was like normal cars you see every day,” Garcia said. “And they pulled up and they just started harassing these people.”
An anonymous neighbor expressed shock and devastation, stating, “These are our community workers. They help build our schools, our houses, and they ensure safety of our houses. And especially for this to happen on New Year’s Eve, it’s it’s just devastating. They’re hard-working people. Honestly, most of them do not have criminal records.”
Alan Surratt, another resident, shared mixed feelings about the incident.
“You know, I don’t know. I have mixed feelings about it, to be honest. I mean, these guys are working. I don’t think they’re criminals, but you never know,” Surratt said.
Garcia expressed his frustration, saying, “It’s unreal. Something real I can’t put into words. Still, now I’m shaking a little bit, like it’s all coming back to me. What I experienced and I don’t know, it’s an injustice.”
Video of the raid was shared through the popular social media account @therealfitfamelpaso.
WATCH:
ICE immigration raid in Far East El Paso. (Credit: Chx6 via FitFam)
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