In Oklahoma City, a family recently experienced a harrowing ordeal when federal immigration agents mistakenly raided their home. The agents were executing a search warrant as part of an investigation into a human smuggling ring. Unfortunately, federal officials acknowledged on Thursday that the family targeted was not involved in any criminal activity.
The family, comprising a mother and her three daughters, shared their unsettling experience with KFOR-TV. They explained that they had relocated to their Oklahoma City residence from Maryland only two weeks prior to the raid. Despite their efforts to inform the agents that the individuals named in the warrant did not reside there, their pleas were ignored.
The mother, whose identity remains undisclosed, described the traumatic incident where around 20 armed agents broke down their door on the morning of April 24. The family was forced outside into the rain, clad only in their undergarments.
She insisted to the agents that they had only recently moved into the home and the warrant’s names did not correspond to anyone in her household. However, the agents were reportedly dismissive of her claims.
Adding to their distress, the agents confiscated the family’s phones, computers, and entire life savings in cash, according to the mother. The situation has left the family deeply shaken.
In response, a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a statement explaining that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was executing a court-sanctioned search warrant. This was part of an extensive investigation into human smuggling, specifically dealing with Guatemalan nationals.
“The search warrants included the location of an address where U.S. citizens recently moved. The previous residents were the intended targets,” stated a senior Homeland Security official.
The official did not address the mother’s allegations concerning the seizure of the family’s possessions, leaving unresolved questions about whether her family’s money and phones will be returned.