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Ecuadorian man says ICE agents beat him after refusing fingerprinting in Georgia

Oct 3, 2026·Location: Folkston, GA

Country of origin: Ecuador

Ecuadorian man says ICE agents beat him after refusing fingerprinting in Georgia
Photo via Instagram

Johnny Sebastián Lucas Barre, a 38-year-old Ecuadorian man held at the Folkston ICE Processing Center in Georgia, says agents handcuffed and beat him after he refused to sign a deportation order and provide fingerprints without a lawyer present. He said three agents threw him against a wall, struck him, and placed a foot near his head until he lost consciousness, later waking up in a wheelchair receiving medical attention and showing visible bruises on his wrists and body. His partner, Leidy Montalvo, said he had been working in the facility kitchen for a dollar a day when agents repeatedly pressured him to sign his deportation paperwork, and she has shared photos of his injuries publicly. Lucas Barre entered the U.S. through Texas in 2024 and was detained again in December after reporting a change of address at an immigration appointment in Orlando, Florida; he has a pending asylum/immigration appeal but no longer has a lawyer because he could not afford to continue paying for one. Immigration attorneys said fingerprints or a signature obtained while someone is unconscious would not be legally valid. Lucas Barre has since filed a federal habeas corpus petition against the facility's warden, which remains pending after the warden moved to dismiss it and his attorney filed a response opposing dismissal.

Timeline

Oct 3, 2026—Case continues to receive media coverage as ICE has not responded to requests for comment or records
Oct 2, 2026—Partner Leidy Montalvo publicizes allegations and shares photos of his injuries; immigration attorneys question legality of fingerprints taken while unconscious
Oct 2, 2026—Federal habeas corpus petition against the facility's warden remains pending; warden's motion to dismiss opposed by Lucas Barre's attorney
Sep 30, 2026—Says ICE agents beat him and he lost consciousness after refusing to sign deportation documents and provide fingerprints
Aug 13, 2025—Transferred to the Folkston ICE Processing Center in Georgia
Dec 9, 2024—Detained by immigration authorities after reporting a change of address during an appointment in Orlando, Florida
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