Three members of an American family were picked up and hauled to a detention center in Milwaukee — all because they were heard speaking Spanish.
The elderly woman, along with her daughter and baby grandson — who wish to remain anonymous out of fear — were shopping at a department store, according to Telemundo Puerto Rico via Daily Beast, when U.S. officials overheard them speaking to each other in a language other than English. That's all it took to get nabbed and thrown into custody, says the report, where they remained until they were able to produce some I.D., including birth certificates.
The trio did get an apology once they proved they were U.S. citizens born in Puerto Rico, but not a ride home — that they had to pay for themselves.
From Daily Beast:
Darryl Morin, the national president of Hispanic advocacy group Forward Latino, said Monday that his group had confirmed three cases of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Wisconsin. It was not clear which agency detained the family in Milwaukee—ICE's current operations have received support from federal agencies including the U.S. Marshals, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Previously: ICE lawyer used his position to steal personal information from immigrants
