A 28-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized after being detained by immigration enforcement officers in Southern California, despite repeatedly telling them she is a U.S. citizen.
Cary López Alvarado, who is due to give birth next week, said she was shoved by agents during an encounter on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in a private parking lot in Hawthorne, California, sparking concerns about excessive force and the treatment of U.S. citizens during immigration raids.
Confrontation in Private Lot
According to López Alvarado, agents in marked U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicles followed a pickup truck carrying two undocumented workers, including her partner Brian Nájera, into a gated lot where she and her cousin, Alberto Sandoval, were doing maintenance work.
Believing the property was private, López Alvarado and Sandoval blocked the gate. She told NBC Los Angeles she feared for her safety and the safety of her unborn child when officers tried to force the gate open.
“They had us all surrounded,” she said, adding that three agents grabbed her as she crouched to protect her stomach. Witnesses recorded video showing agents placing her in handcuffs as bystanders shouted, “She’s pregnant!”
Hospitalized After Sharp Pains
López Alvarado said she experienced sharp stomach pains after her release later that day and was admitted to a hospital for monitoring. Doctors kept her overnight to ensure her and her baby’s safety.
“I wasn’t resisting or anything,” she said. “I can’t fight back; I’m pregnant.”
She also recounted that officers questioned her nationality:
“They told me, ‘OK, your baby is going to be born here, but you’re from Mexico, right?’ And I told them no — I was born here, in Los Angeles.”
Federal Response
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the arrest. In a statement, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said López Alvarado was detained for obstructing a federal operation.
“During this incident, agents were assaulted, and an additional subject was taken into custody after he pushed an officer,” McLaughlin said. “Anyone who actively obstructs or assaults law enforcement, including U.S. citizens, will of course face consequences.”
McLaughlin added that assaults on ICE officers have risen by 413%, calling the trend “disgraceful.”
Family and Community Impact
López Alvarado’s cousin, Alberto Sandoval, remains in custody facing assault charges. His mother, María Alvarado, disputed the allegations, telling Telemundo 52 that “there are videos, there’s evidence” showing her son was attacked rather than being the aggressor.
Meanwhile, López Alvarado said she has not heard from her partner Nájera since his arrest. The incident occurred during a weekend of immigration raids across Southern California that resulted in dozens of arrests and sparked five consecutive days of protests in Los Angeles.
Civil rights advocates say the case raises troubling questions about immigration enforcement overreach, particularly when U.S. citizens become entangled in operations targeting undocumented individuals.
There is currently a petition on Change.org calling for an investigation into the violent arrest of Alvarado by ICE.
