Dramatic moment car wash employee faints while being arrested by ICE

An immigration raid at a Southern California car wash turned even more dramatic when one woman fleeing a federal agent appeared to faint and fall to the ground.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived at Bixby Knoll’s Car Wash in Long Beach, surprising workers and customers alike. Video footage from the raid showed several employees being arrested by agents as witnesses looked on.

At one point, a female employee was seen trying to make her escape with an agent in pursuit.

(Video Credit: KTLA 5)

“The raid, according to witnesses, some of whom documented it on their cellphones, said the raid unfolded at around 10 a.m. Saturday, when about four dark-colored SUVs carrying masked agents with tactical vests pulled up and blocked the car wash’s entrance and exits, prompting several of the car wash employees to make a break for it,” KTLA reported.

Federal immigration agents reportedly detained seven of the employees. When one woman made a break for it and was recaptured, she suddenly fainted. The agent tried to help gently lower her to the ground to prevent her from falling and sustaining an injury.

“The most striking thing for me was a woman, probably my mother’s age, running with her work tools being chased by a young ICE agent, running for her life,” the man filming the chase told KTLA. “It was just very impactful for me.”

Others witnessing the arrests could be heard in video footage yelling at agents.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson indicated that those arrested in the Long Beach operation were illegal aliens from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.

“U.S. Border Patrol conducted a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Long Beach, California, that resulted in the arrest of 7 illegal aliens from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico who have broken our nation’s immigration laws,” the spokesperson told KTLA in a statement.

“Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now,” the statement continued. “We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S., the right, legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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