Legal Advocates Protecting Against ICE Aggressions
Aggressions from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Agent should not be the norm. Abuse and constitutional violations from federal agents have been increasing, but this does not mean that victims should be silenced, especially due to their immigration status. Consult with an ICE injury attorney in California from BD&J to learn more about your rights after abuse, brutality, or other misconduct at the hands of ICE agents and who could be held liable for these acts.
Who Can Be Arrested By ICE?
As it stands, ICE agents are currently targeting individuals in the country who:
- They suspect of having unlawful immigration status
- Have legal residence (i.e. lawful permanent residence, visa holders, and refugees granted asylum) who may have criminal convictions
- They suspect of ‘posing a threat to public safety or national security’
However, it is also important to remember that the use of force in cases of detainment is meant to be strictly regulated. Abuse and other misconduct violate the rights of those being detained, and can also pose a danger to nearby bystanders, loved ones, or other individuals who are in the vicinity of an ICE raid or detainment.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury due to a false detainment, attempting to deescalate the detainment of someone else, or another similar event, speak to a California ICE injury attorney from BD&J, Call now.
Where Are ICE Arrests Happening?
ICE arrests are frequently happening at:
- People’s homes
- Places of employment
- Courthouses, where arrests can take place inside the building, before/after court appearances, or on the street outside a courthouse
- On the street outside people’s homes and workplaces
- On the road, as people are pulled over while driving
If you think you’re going to be questioned by an ICE agent, know your rights.
What is an Immigration Raid?
An immigration raid is an event in which multiple U.S. Immigration and Customs agent target a place of business if they suspect there are employees with an unlawful immigration status. These raids can have a negative and overwhelming effect on the surrounding community, which has resulted in objects like whistles being used to alert nearby individuals of an ICE raid occurring close by.
The use of whistles is protected under the first amendment for free speech when used to alert or protest.
Injured while unlawfully detained in an immigration raid? Fill out our form to speak to a California ICE injury attorney now.
How Serious Are ICE Injuries?
The use of excessive force and abuse from federal agents can cause a series of injuries to vulnerable individuals. These injuries may include:
Soft tissue injuries
The use of unreasonable blunt or excessive force can result in soft tissue injuries to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. These injuries are characterized by pain, tenderness, and swelling of the affected areas with a limited range of motion.
Traumatic brain injuries
Traumatic brain injuries occur when trauma is caused to the brain, most often a result of blunt force on the head. These injuries can show symptoms of impairment, concussions, weakness, and in the most serious of cases, brain death.
Shooting injuries
In the last year or so, there have been 16 incidents of ICE agents opening fire on individuals, some of these instances involving open fire on observers of an ICE arrest/raid. Shooting injuries can lead to massive bleeding, infection, organ damage, and nerve damage in some cases.
Broken or fractured bones
Being punched, kicked, thrown, or other forms of brutality can lead to broken bones. The symptoms of these injuries include pain, swelling, loss of movement, and for more severe cases, deformity and nerve damage.
Spinal cord injuries or paralysis
Spinal cord injuries from shootings, excessive force, and other physical brutality can present symptoms of extreme pain and loss of movement. Numbness, loss of sensory function (the ability to feel touch, heat, etc.), and weakness throughout the body are also common indicators of a spinal cord injury.
Burns
Burn injuries from tear gas, pepper spray, and other non-lethal weapons used by federal agents instead of guns can still carry painful symptoms. Blistering, vision problems, rashes, and swelling are some of them.
Cases of racial profiling, targeted harassment, denial of medical care, and injuries or assaults from other detainees in detention camps can be causes for a personal injury claim as well.
What is Detention Camp Abuse?
As of November 2025, 65,735 individuals were held under ICE detention, with 48,377 (73.6%) not having criminal convictions.
The conditions of these detention camps have been allegedly abysmal, with many detainees reporting shortages of food, medication, and other basic human essentials. If you or a loved one spent time in a detention camp and suffered brutality or negligence at the hands of ICE agents, such as:
- Being withheld food, water, using a bathroom, and other necessities
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse including racial discrimination and harassment
- Solitary confinement and elaborate isolation while in detainment
- Overcrowding of detainees within the quarters of the detention camps
- Lack of adequate medical screening for medications and treatment of medical conditions
Speaking with an ICE injury lawyer in California from BD&J who can help you learn more about filing a claim for these reckless acts.
What Are Immigrant Rights?
The Constitution states that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without the due process of law. This is a right guaranteed to all people in the United States, regardless of their immigration status. While living in the United States, all people are entitled to the rights of due process and legal counsel, and the right against unreasonable searches and seizures.
How Can a California ICE Injury Attorney Share My Story?
If you or a loved one went through incidents of brutality at the hands of ICE agents, whether in the detainment process, at a detention camp, or while peacefully protesting or alerting the community to an immigration raid, you should make your story heard. While you are recovering from injuries, emotional trauma, and other repercussions of an ICE interaction, an ICE injury attorney can make your story heard.
The California ICE injury lawyers at BD&J can help:
- File a claim against the appropriate agency
- Present evidence like medical documentation of injuries, photos of the incident site, and testimonies from other observers of the events that led to injury
- Hold discovery to obtain more information that strengthens your claim
- Negotiate for an appropriate settlement that covers your injuries and other related expenses
- Handle all communications on your behalf so you can continue the journey of healing and recovery
Who Could Be Liable for My Injuries?
If you were injured in ICE custody, being detained by ICE, or another confrontation by ICE, the Department of Homeland Security would be held liable, as ICE operates under this department. Also, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency could be held accountable.
What is Senate Bill 747?
Senate Bill 747 is proposed legislation that could allow Californians to sue federal immigration agents over violations of constitutional rights. For example, excessive force, unlawful searches, etc. If passed, this bill could hold DHS agents accountable during improper detainment processes, injuries, and other unlawful actions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Have to Share My Immigration Status when Filing a Claim?
You should disclose your immigration status with your attorney, but it is important to remember that these communications are completely protected. When it comes to being questioned by an ICE agent or police officers, you do have the right to remain silent and not disclose this information. Your immigration status will never be used as evidence against your case.
Don’t be overwhelmed with filing a claim regardless of your citizenship status. An ICE injury lawyer from BD&J can help.
Can I Be Deported for Filing a Lawsuit Against an ICE Agent?
No, you cannot be deported just for filing a personal injury lawsuit against an ICE agent. Under the Federal Tort Claims Act, individuals injured by the negligent or reckless acts of a federal agent are entitled to file a personal injury claim under certain circumstances. Any attempts of deportation during the filing process could be considered retaliation, which is illegal.
Can I File a Lawsuit for Emotional Trauma While Detained?
Absolutely. If you were detained in a detention camp and suffered emotional trauma as a result of the conditions while being detained, interactions with DHS agents, and more, then you can file a lawsuit. Speak to an ICE injury lawyer from BD&J to learn more.
How Much Does It Cost to Work With a BD&J ICE Injury Attorney?
At BD&J, we work with clients on a contingency fee basis, so they pay nothing upfront. This allows clients to seek legal help regardless of their financial situation.
What Are Contingency Fees?
Contingency fees allow us to advance the case costs to clients during the case process, deducting fees from the final compensation amount after a case settles. You pay no fees until we win*.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
Because this is a claim against a federal government agency, you have 2 years from the date of the incident to file a claim. Filing a claim against ICE can require timely filing with certain legal complexities, which is why you want to consult with a California ICE injury attorney as soon as possible.
Don’t wait until your time runs out. Call BD&J to book your consultation with one of our ICE injury lawyers in California!
How To File a Claim Against ICE
- Document everything. – Take photos and videos of the incident, where it happened, and injuries. If other people were around at the time of your injury, exchange information to get their account and any media they may have captured. Try to obtain information about the agent(s) involved, like their names and badge numbers, as they are legally required to identify themselves.
- Seek medical examination. – Whether you were in a detention facility, injured while alerting other community members, or however else, it is crucial that you seek medical attention. This establishes your injuries, their severity, and also ensures that your wellbeing is maintained.
- Talk with an ICE injury attorney in California. – Going through a traumatic experience with an ICE agent, who is supposed to uphold your rights regardless of citizenship status, can be extremely overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. You don’t have to go through this legal battle alone. Speak to an ICE injury attorney in California from BD&J to learn more about filing a personal injury claim to hold these agents accountable for abusing their position.
California ICE Injury Attorneys Protecting Victims and Their Families
Talk to a California ICE injury lawyer from BD&J to make your story heard in the pursuit of justice. Any federal agent that abuses their power and instigates dangerous or harmful incidents around communities should answer for their recklessness and cruelty. With more than $2 billion* earned in compensation for injured clients, the advocate lawyers at BD&J will fight for you. Contact us now to book your initial free consultation.
