A 23-year-old electrician from Brentwood is talking out after a disturbing encounter with federal immigration brokers left him handcuffed and shaken, regardless of being a U.S. citizen.
Elzon Lemus says he was on the job, driving in a piece van along with his co-worker in Westbury after they had been pulled over by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers. The incident was recorded on Lemus’ telephone.
“What’s up, guys? Can I see your ID, please?” an agent asks within the video.
When Lemus questions why they’re being stopped, the agent replies vaguely, “Cause you look like someone I’m looking for. Can I see your ID?”
Lemus continues, “Who are you looking for exactly? Because it’s definitely not me.”
The agent then warns him, “This is going to go one of two ways here. I need to see your ID — if you’re not the guy I’m looking for, you’re not the guy I’m looking for. But we need your ID.”
When Lemus continues to query why he’s being stopped the agent escalates and says “If we don’t get your ID we are going to need to figure out another way to ID you and that may not work out well for you.”
At that time the ICE agent forcefully opens the van door and tells Lemus to cease recording him.
“I felt like my rights were just out the window,” Lemus recalled during an interview. “It felt like I couldn’t do a lot now.”
Lemus was pulled out of the van, positioned in handcuffs, and detained for about 25 minutes whereas the agent searched him. Once they lastly discovered his ID confirming his citizenship, the brokers let him go — with out providing any rationalization or apology. Lemus additionally requested them for his or her names and badge numbers and so they refused.
“Without saying anything, they just left,” Lemus mentioned. “They were pretty upset because they couldn’t take us — me and my coworker — we were fine.”
The incident comes amid elevated ICE enforcement efforts throughout the nation, however civil rights consultants say this cease could have violated constitutional protections.
“They can’t randomly, on a hunch, stop people,” mentioned Fred Brewington, a civil rights legal professional representing Lemus. “That’s contrary to the Constitution.”
Brewington argues this was a transparent case of racial profiling.
“Unless there is an articulable basis to ask someone for identification — which this officer did not provide — there’s a concern there,” he mentioned.
Regardless of being a citizen, Lemus says the incident has left him afraid of future encounters with regulation enforcement.
“It felt like I lost all rights when they pulled me over. I felt like I had nothing anymore, Felt like they stripped my rights, I was honestly shocked.” Lemus mentioned.
As of now, no lawsuit has been filed. However Lemus and his legal professional are calling for a full investigation by the U.S. Division of Justice and are sharing his story publicly to lift consciousness about alleged abuses of energy.
NBC New York has reached out to ICE for remark however has not acquired a response.
