Teen Testifies Before Congress on ICE Abuses Against Children
Congressional Hearing Features Testimony of Lawyers for Civil Rights Client from Chelsea, Mass.
March 24, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Michelle Ramirez Sanan, a teenager whose family was brutalized by ICE, will testify at a bicameral hearing on ICE abuses against children. In December, Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) filed a Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) complaint against ICE on behalf of the Ramirez Sanan family.
Convened by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the hearing will examine how violent enforcement tactics and disregard for legal protections and constitutional rights have harmed children across the United States.
Michelle will testify about her family’s traumatic experience and enduring harm. She will be joined by other teenagers, mothers, and the Superintendent of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos’ school district.
Lawyers for Civil Rights Attorney Jillian Lenson, lead counsel on Michelle’s FTCA case, will be at the hearing.
The hearing is the latest in a series led by the legislators to uncover unlawful and abusive immigration enforcement tactics. The last hearing focused on ICE’s warrantless home invasions, which LCR is challenging in federal court in Boston.
Watch Michelle’s testimony here.
Watch the full Congressional hearing here (Michelle testifies at the 41:48 minute mark).
Read Michelle’s testimony here.
