Marrero, Louisiana – A U.S. citizen in Marrero, Louisiana, says she was chased by federal agents who mistook her for someone else, leading her to believe she was targeted due to her ethnicity. The incident, captured on home security footage, has sparked concerns about racial profiling by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
maria Guzman recounted to WWL-TV that she was running toward her front door when several masked men began chasing her, shouting “Leave me alone!” guzman, who identifies as Hispanic, stated she repeatedly told the agents she was born and raised in the U.S. and is a citizen, but they “did not care at all.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed agents were deployed across the New Orleans area, including Marrero, as part of an operation targeting individuals with criminal records. DHS stated the agents were pursuing a person previously charged with felony theft and convicted of illegal possession of stolen property – neither considered violent offenses under Louisiana law – and described as a “public safety threat.”
According to the DHS statement, agents identified themselves and stopped pursuing guzman once they realized she was not their target.
Guzman’s stepfather intervened, ordering the agents off their property and noting at least one agent appeared to be Hispanic, shouting, “Hispanic people against Hispanic people, bro!”
Guzman expressed her belief that the agents may be “racially profiling all people of color,” stating, “It’s wrong.”
The incident occurred during a broader immigration sweep in the New Orleans area that resulted in dozens of arrests. Government data previously reported by The Guardian indicates that most individuals in U.S.immigration detention have no criminal record. The trump management initiated the operation.
