Colombian engineer with valid work visa violently detained by ICE, files lawsuit
Jan 23, 2026·Location: Portland, ME
Country of origin: Colombia

Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz, a Colombian civil engineer with a master's degree from the University of Maine and a valid H-1B work visa, was violently detained by ICE agents while driving to work in Portland, Maine. Masked agents in unmarked vehicles surrounded his car, smashed his driver's side window with a crowbar, pointed a Taser at him, and dragged him out despite his attempts to show proof of lawful status, leaving his car running in the street. He was placed in full-body shackles and transported across state lines to an ICE facility in Massachusetts, where he was held for hours in a windowless cell before being released without charges roughly 105 miles from his home. Carvajal-Muñoz, who has no criminal record despite the operation reportedly targeting immigrants with criminal histories, said he continues to fear being detained again. With assistance from the ACLU of Maine, he filed a federal lawsuit against ICE agent Jack Cory Ravencamp and two unidentified agents, alleging excessive force, warrantless arrest, unlawful detention, racial discrimination, and violations of his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.
Timeline
Sources
- Civil engineer sues immigration agents who violently arrested him during Maine raid
bangordailynews.com·Apr 14, 2026·archived copy
- assets.aclu.org
- Civil engineer arrested by ICE during Maine surge sues federal agents
pressherald.com·Apr 14, 2026·archived copy
- kansascity.com
- ICE agents detain civil engineer in Maine, leave his car running in street with smashed window
WMTW·Jan 26, 2026·archived copy
- Masked agents detain civil engineer in Portland, leave his car running in the street with a smashed window
pressherald.com·Jan 23, 2026·archived copy
- Only 11 arrested during ICE’s Maine surge had criminal records, new data show
bangordailynews.com·Mar 30, 2026·archived copy
- Portland man sues ICE after being detained for hours
WGME·Apr 15, 2026·archived copy
fox23maine.com·Apr 15, 2026·archived copy
WGME·Apr 15, 2026·archived copy
- ACLU of Maine, Other Advocates Sue Federal Officers for Violent Abduction of Lawful Immigrant During January ICE Crackdown - ACLU of Maine
- ACLU of Maine sues on behalf of man detained during enhanced ICE operation
WMTW·Apr 14, 2026·archived copy
- Lawsuit claims ICE violated rights of Colombian man detained in Portland
WGAN·Apr 14, 2026·archived copy
- ICE agents detain civil engineer in Portland, leave his car running in the street with a smashed window
bangordailynews.com·Jan 22, 2026·archived copy
- ICE Detention: ICE Detains Local Engineer: Bond Granted After Four-Day Ordeal At McAllen Airport | FOX RGV
foxrgv.tv·Apr 20, 2026·archived copy
- Florida immigrant did everything 'the right way.' ICE still detained him for months without bond
WLRN·Apr 23, 2026·archived copy
- Palm Beach County business owner granted bond after months in ICE detention
cbs12.com·Jan 5, 2026·archived copy
- Report: Most people arrested by ICE in Maine operation had not been convicted of crimes
WGME·Mar 31, 2026·archived copy
- ICE Wrongfully Arrested Him. Will His Lawsuit Change How Courts Hold Agents Accountable?
themarshallproject.org·Sep 8, 2026
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