Tensions Rise as ICE Agents Pursue Honduran Man in Medical Facility
In a recent incident in Southern California, federal immigration agents chased a Honduran landscaper into a surgical clinic, leading to a high-stress standoff. Clinic staff confronted the armed agents, insisting they show identification and a warrant.
Footage from the situation at the Ontario Advanced Surgery Center captured staff members in scrubs demanding that the agents release the distressed man, who was visibly upset. “Get your hands off of him. You don’t even have a warrant,” one staff member asserted, trying to protect the man from being taken away by the agents.
This event highlights an increasing visibility of ICE operations, with agents engaging more directly in various public spaces, including workplaces and immigration courts. Recently, San Bernardino’s bishop even excused local Catholics from attending Mass due to multiple detentions near church properties.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the targeted operation was intended to arrest two individuals in the country illegally. When one fled, it culminated in the situation at the surgical center.
The department accused the surgery center staff of obstructing law enforcement during the operation. The clinic, situated about 35 miles east of Los Angeles, did not respond to requests for comments regarding the occurrence.
Javier Hernandez, head of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, reported that the Honduran man was eventually apprehended, though his current whereabouts remain unknown. This man was reportedly supporting his mother back in Honduras by sending money for her medical treatments.
Hernandez expressed skepticism about the claims that this was a targeted operation, noting that agents also questioned two co-workers who turned out to have legal status—one as a U.S. citizen and the other as a permanent resident.
He praised the clinic staff for standing up during a time when such detentions are increasingly common in public settings, even inside private medical offices. “It’s painful to watch the footage,” he said, referring to the growing number of videos showing similar encounters.
Additionally, this week, ICE agents were seen escorting a handcuffed individual from an immigration courthouse in San Francisco, prompting protests as bystanders attempted to block their vehicle.
