ICE officers seen smashing car windows, detaining 4 men in Brookhaven
They were there to get their car wash, the ICE arrived
FOX 5 Atlanta has obtained exclusive video showing ICE raid a car at a car wash near the intersection of North Druid Hills Road and Buford Highway. What we have learned.
BROOKHAVEN, Ga. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained four men at a car wash in Brookhaven on Thursday morning, shattering a vehicle’s window in the process, according to witnesses and exclusive video obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta.
ICE raid at Brookhaven car wash
What we know:
The incident unfolded at the LUV Car Wash, located at the intersection of North Druid Hills Road and Buford Highway. Video footage shows ICE officers surrounding an SUV before allegedly breaking at least one window to gain access.
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Men describes ICE raid
What they're saying:
One of the men detained was a father and longtime Atlanta resident, according to his son, who spoke with FOX 5’s Eric Perry through tears.
"I got a call from my dad this morning and he was letting me know that ICE has him," the son said. "He told me to come pick up the car and to make sure that nobody steals it."
Glass from the shattered SUV window could be seen on the ground after the men were taken into custody. The son said his father was simply getting a car wash and had no criminal record.
"He just works in remodeling and painting, and he’s just a hard-working guy," the son said. "He just tries to make a living for us and give us a better life."
He said his father has lived in the U.S. since 2003 and has been working for years to gain legal status.
"He’s been trying for a while now, and it takes so long and years of him just waiting and waiting without having anything," he said.
The son did not want to be identified but said the arrest has shaken his family and the broader Hispanic community, who he says continue to live in fear.
Waiting for ICE to respond
The other side:
ICE has not yet released a statement on the incident.
The Source: FOX 5's Eric Perry obtained a video of an ICE raid in Brookhaven and spoke to those seen in the video, who did not want to be named. Attempts to reach an ICE spokesperson for comment have not been met with a response yet.