Mother and disabled son, both U.S. citizens, sued after wrongful ICE-related arrest
Aug 5, 2026·Location: Centerton, AR
Maria Guadalupe Rodriguez and her adult son Jose Ricardo Munoz, both U.S. citizens from Benton County, Arkansas, are suing the Centerton Police Department after officers detained them during a March 2025 traffic stop at the request of federal immigration agents. According to the lawsuit, officer William McCain stopped Rodriguez for an alleged minor traffic violation, and despite confirming she had a valid Arkansas driver's license and that Munoz had valid identification, three officers searched, handcuffed, and arrested both of them on suspicion of being in the country without authorization. Rodriguez, who is Munoz's legal guardian because he is incapacitated, says they were taken to the police station before officers determined they were U.S. citizens and released them without charges. The complaint says officers were apparently attempting to serve an immigration arrest warrant on someone else and took the wrong people into custody.
Sources
- Arkansas mother and son file suit accusing police department of illegal detention
Arkansas Times·Aug 5, 2026
KTLO·Aug 6, 2026
- arkansasadvocate.com
- Documents provide Centerton police perspective on 2025 traffic stop that resulted in federal lawsuit against officers | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Northwest Arkansas Online·Aug 15, 2026
- Federal lawsuit argues Centerton police detained U.S. citizens at the direction of ICE officers | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Northwest Arkansas Online·Aug 4, 2026
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