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Guatemalan migrant, 25, violently arrested by ICE in Georgia, family alleges teeth were knocked out
🇦🇷 Argentina /Crime & Justice

Guatemalan migrant, 25, violently arrested by ICE in Georgia, family alleges teeth were knocked out

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A 25-year-old Guatemalan migrant was violently arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Georgia, sustaining severe injuries including a broken nose and lost teeth.
  • Witnesses and family members claim the arrest involved excessive force, including tasering and physical assault, after the migrant attempted to flee.
  • ICE maintains the arrest was justified, while the migrant's family asserts he had been living legally in the U.S. for six years.

A 25-year-old Guatemalan migrant suffered severe injuries, including a broken nose and lost teeth, during a violent arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Doraville, Georgia. The incident occurred on July 18 when Marco Antonio Roblero Pérez and three coworkers were intercepted by ICE patrols while in a gardening truck. According to accounts from friends and family, the men exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot when agents began using stun guns. Roblero fell face-first onto the pavement, sustaining his injuries. His cousin, Jennifer Pérez, stated that officers "got on top of him. They hit his face and also electrocuted him."

Family members found Roblero at a hospital more than two hours later, where he tearfully recounted his pain and difficulty breathing. Despite his severe injuries, including a bloody face and missing teeth, his family alleges he was discharged and transferred to an ICE detention center in less than 24 hours. Jackie Escalante, another cousin, described his distress: "He started crying, saying his face hurt a lot, that they had taken his teeth out, that he had trouble breathing."

He started crying, saying his face hurt a lot, that they had taken his teeth out, that he had trouble breathing.

— Jackie EscalanteA cousin describing Marco Antonio Roblero Pérez's condition after the arrest.

ICE has stated the arrest was justified. However, those who know Roblero claim he had been residing in the United States for six years with regular immigration status. The incident has caused distress within the migrant community.

Got on top of him. They hit his face and also electrocuted him.

— Jennifer PérezA cousin detailing the alleged excessive force used during the arrest.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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