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Father detained by masked ICE agents who broke van windows during morning drive to work

Mar 19, 2026·Location: Aurora, CO

Country of origin: Guatemala

Father detained by masked ICE agents who broke van windows during morning drive to work
Photo via sign.moveon.org

Raúl Tapia, a Mexican immigrant who has lived in the United States for about 25 years, was detained by ICE agents while driving to work with his son near their home in Georgetown, Delaware. According to his family, three unmarked black trucks surrounded their van at a stop sign, and six masked agents broke the van's windows and forcibly removed Raúl without presenting a warrant. His son Dante said agents questioned him about his birthplace before releasing him and detaining his father. Delaware court records show Raúl has no criminal history, and his wife Beth said the family had recently begun working with a new attorney to resolve his immigration status. He is being held in a detention center in Philadelphia and is expected to be transferred to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania, with an immigration hearing scheduled. Community organizations including La Esperanza and the ACLU of Delaware raised concerns about the warrantless stop and tactics used.

Timeline

Mar 22, 2025—Report published detailing detention and lack of warrant, family and community reaction
Mar 19, 2025—Raúl Tapia detained by ICE agents while driving to work with his son in Georgetown, Delaware
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