In Virginia, a man was hospitalized with a brain injury after being detained by ICE
In Virginia, 45-year-old José Mejía Hernández was hospitalized after being detained by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to his attorneys and medical records, he was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury and a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The attorneys provided The Guardian with photographs showing bruises on his face and body.
According to attorney Margaret Hellerstein, on August 11, Mejia Hernandez was walking to a bus stop in Arlington when two agents got out of an unmarked car and began chasing him. The man recalled being struck with a device resembling a stun gun, but he could not remember what happened next and, according to him, did not regain consciousness until several hours later in the hospital.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that ICE had detained Mechia Hernandez. The agency stated that he attempted to flee, so agents used “necessary force” to bring the situation under control. According to DHS, he was taken to the hospital as a precaution. However, the agency did not specify exactly what force was used during the arrest.
After several days in the hospital, the man was transferred to an ICE office, where he was fitted with an electronic tracking ankle bracelet and given a notice to appear before an immigration judge. On August 14, he returned to the hospital due to a deterioration in his health. Medical records also note injuries to his head, face, and neck, as well as persistent pain.
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Doctors ordered an MRI, but his attorneys stated that the ankle monitor prevented him from undergoing the examination immediately. According to them, ICE required documentation specifying the date and time of the procedure, and the man had to wait at the agency’s office for the device to be removed. DHS stated that it did not prevent the removal of the ankle monitor for medical purposes but required the necessary paperwork to be completed and a tracking app to be installed on his phone.
DHS also denied that Mejia Hernandez had lost consciousness. According to the agency, after attempting to evade arrest, he remained conscious, and officers provided him with assistance in accordance with protocol. The department reported that the man is a Mexican citizen, is in the U.S. without authorization, and deportation proceedings have been initiated against him.
The exact circumstances of the arrest and how the man sustained his injuries remain unclear. U.S. Representative Don Beyer of Virginia called the reports of injuries alarming and said he is seeking additional information about the incident. Arlington County Attorney Parisa Degani-Taft said she has called on local police and the state attorney general’s office to conduct a thorough investigation.
