After ICE officers attacked and detained a U.S. citizen outside the city’s immigration headquarters, what had begun as a typical protest in San Francisco escalated into a firestorm, igniting indignation and posing grave human rights concerns.
Outside 630 Sansome Street, where small groups of protesters have been congregating for months to voice their opposition to ICE’s imprisonment of undocumented immigrants, the incident took place on Wednesday. Angelica Guerrero, a transsexual woman from San Francisco, was one of them; she was abruptly thrust into the system she was against.
In a dramatic incident captured on camera and extensively shared online, Guerrero was brought into prison. As startled demonstrators watched, the video shows a federal agent turning, lunging, and tackling her to the ground. Later, Guerrero told reporters, “I didn’t hear any rights being read or anything like that.”
The location of Guerrero remained unknown for the following twenty-four hours. With no calls, no responses, and no clue where she had been taken, her parents and community supporters claimed to have spent the night in a desperate hunt. She finally came to light at the notoriously unforgiving Santa Rita Jail.
Guerrero recalled that the holding chambers were savage. I was supposed to sleep, but the walls were covered with blood and excrement. Anything may have happened in the absence of a phone call or the ability to get in touch with a lawyer. It would have been completely unknown if they had transferred me to Louisiana.
This individual gets arrested and detained by ICE authorities for obstructing their operations.
He is a US citizen, the woman filming cries.
If you are obstructing, you will be arrested regardless of whether you are a citizen or an illegal.nyco4SEgWE pic.twitter.com/
July 17, 2025, AmericanPapaBear (@AmericaPapaBear)
Her liberation Family and supporters were in tears as she walked free on Thursday morning, making it an emotional moment. Guerrero’s struggle is far from over, though. She faces misdemeanor charges of property destruction and interfering with federal agents.
According to civil rights lawyers, the arrest itself might have violated several laws. One senior attorney with the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund stated that sidewalks are typical public venues for protests, which are protected by the First Amendment. The Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on arbitrary searches and seizures is another. Additionally, it was against the law to be unable to make phone calls. You are entitled to three phone calls after being placed under federal arrest.
Advocates contend that ICE is stifling voices that criticize its actions, and that Guerrero’s case is part of a larger trend of ICE overreach. According to her parents, ICE’s actions are unfair. This goes beyond our child. Many other people are also affected in the same manner.
Good luck to those who are traveling within the United States. I sincerely hope you never experience this.I am the Canadian who spent two weeks in custody at Ice. The Guardian | US immigration | It seemed like I was abducted | https://t.co/ciZRKvjlMY
August 5, 2025, JillCanadian (@Jill1Sweden)
Requests for comment have not yet received a response from ICE. Even as the arrest footage continues to circulate on social media, garnering a lot of criticism and igniting calls for accountability, the agency has said nothing.
According to Guerrero, the incident has only made her more determined. According to her, they restricted my right to free speech in the same manner that they wish to restrict all of ours.
The fight over her arrest, her rights, and ICE’s actions will be prominently displayed in court as her case moves forward. The battle is just getting started for the activist community in San Francisco.
