Deaf Utah man injured by ICE agents at bus stop, files federal civil rights lawsuit
Jul 9, 2026·Location: Taylorsville, UT
Country of origin: null

Arturo Ruvalcaba, a 38-year-old deaf man with a green card, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against ICE agents and federal officials after an encounter on September 29 outside Salt Lake Community College's Taylorsville campus. According to the lawsuit, three white Ford SUVs pulled up to a bus stop where Ruvalcaba was waiting, and agents in military-style uniforms approached him shouting commands without providing a sign language interpreter or accommodating his deafness. When Ruvalcaba attempted to communicate through gestures and sign language and retrieve his documentation, an agent pushed him down by his shoulders and another pulled forcefully on his arm, injuring his elbow. After presenting his legal status documents, he was released. Ruvalcaba subsequently experienced pain and swelling, required multiple medical treatments, and missed several weeks of work. His wife reported that the encounter affected the emotional well-being of their three adopted sons. On July 8, 2026, the parties filed a stipulated motion to dismiss the case without prejudice, and the court terminated the civil case on July 9, 2026.
Timeline
Sources
- Deaf Utah man files federal civil rights lawsuit after encounter with ICE agents outside SLCC
KSL·Dec 12, 2025·archived copy
- Deaf man files federal lawsuit following ICE incident in Taylorsville
fox13now.com·Dec 12, 2025·archived copy
- A deaf Utah man says ICE agents injured him months ago and he’s still in pain. Now he’s suing.
- Deaf Immigrant Sues ICE Over Utah Bus Stop Encounter With Agents
news.bloomberglaw.com·Dec 1, 2025·archived copy
- Deaf Utah Man Sues ICE for ADA Violation | Center on Disability posted on the topic
linkedin.com·Jan 2, 2026·archived copy
- pacermonitor.com
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