MIAMI – A South Florida man says he is traumatized after being stopped twice in two weeks by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who demanded to see his identification, despite being a U.S. citizen.
Carlos, who was born and raised in Hollywood and is of Colombian descent, believes he was racially profiled.
The first incident occurred last week at a convenience store in southern Georgia, he said.
“He turned me around, very aggressively, and zip-tied me,” Carlos recalled, saying an agent then escorted him to the back of the store, where other detainees were sitting on a sidewalk. He was eventually released.
Then, on Wednesday, Carlos said it happened again. This time in Pembroke Pines.
“No doubt in my mind that if I was fair-skinned, blue-eyed, and blonde, that wouldn’t have happened to me,” he said.
Immigration attorney Morella Aguado, who is not involved in the case, said law enforcement officers must have a valid reason to ask for identification.
“If you’re stopped for a traffic violation, there’s a legal basis to ask for ID. But if you’re just at a convenience store buying something, and it’s based on your appearance, that is discrimination,” Aguado said.
Carlos said he has since ordered a copy of his birth certificate to carry with him at all times.
“How does this make you feel?” he was asked.
“Like an alien. Not worthy. It’s an empty feeling,” he said, adding that he now fears for his parents, who are also U.S. citizens.
“This isn’t the reason I joined the Marine Corps. This isn’t the country I know,” Carlos said. “I still believe in this country and that people are genuinely good.”
ICE has acknowledged receiving a request for comment but has not yet responded.
