A woman wearing a medical scrub was stopped by federal immigration agents and forcibly removed from her car while driving on U.S. 1 in the Florida Keys Wednesday morning, even as she screamed that she was a U.S. citizen.
At around 9:15 a.m. at mile marker 103.4 in Key Largo’s Pink Plaza, federal agents stopped the woman driving a white Toyota Corolla and surrounded her. Video recorded by a Miami Herald reporter shows an agent pulling the woman from the car. ICE, CBP and U.S. Border Patrol agents can be seen.
She can be heard screaming as agents try to handcuff her.
“I’m an American citizen, please help me,” she shouted after agents pushed her to the ground. “That’s not fair. Why are you doing this to me?”
Agents then placed her in a patrol car. She was released shortly afterwards.
Border Patrol agents are conducting operations at Lowell Waterfront Park on the Key Largo Bay at mile marker 104.5. The event time is from 7 a.m. to about 11 a.m.
The Herald was unable to locate the woman after she drove off.
More: 12 detained in Florida Keys in stepped-up immigration enforcement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is participating in the immigration enforcement operation in the Keys, said the woman, who has not yet been identified, refused to hand over her driver’s license or roll down her window when she was stopped.
“She refused to cooperate with local law enforcement at all levels and identify herself,” agency spokesman Alan Regalado said, noting that deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office were also present. A Herald reporter saw officers chasing away drivers who were slowing down to watch.
After agents removed the woman from the car, they found her driver’s license in the car and ran it through the system to confirm she was a U.S. citizen, Regalado said.
He did not specify what criteria agents used to justify pulling people away during the operation, which has been underway in the Key Largo area for the past few weeks.
“We can’t go into detail about what we’re looking for,” Regalado said.
Wednesday’s action comes after 12 people were detained during an immigration operation in the Florida Keys last week. Agents have been active on the island chain since the Trump administration began a crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
The Upper Keys, including Key Largo, appears to be the area of recent focus.
