East Boston Father Held for Two Days in Inhumane Conditions After ICE Ignored His Legal Status
Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) has filed a complaint under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) on behalf of José Pineda, an immigrant with lawful humanitarian status who was wrongfully arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The complaint seeks damages for ICE’s reckless, discriminatory, and unconstitutional conduct, including false arrest, excessive force, and prolonged inhumane detention.
With legal status in the U.S., Mr. Pineda lives in East Boston and works in landscaping to support his wife and 12-year-old daughter.
On May 27, 2025, Mr. Pineda was on his way to work when ICE officers surrounded his truck with unmarked vehicles and armed agents on foot. There was no reason why ICE stopped him other than his being Latino. Despite informing officers of his legal status, Mr. Pineda was mocked by ICE agents who told him that if he was not born in the United States, he had no rights.
Mr. Pineda complied with orders to get out of his truck, and he was placed under arrest without explanation. Despite having documents proving legal status, ICE officers chained him, confiscated his documents and $600 in cash, and confined him in a filthy, overcrowded cell without food, hygiene access, or sleep for two days.
While in detention at the ICE Boston Field Office in Burlington, Mass., Mr. Pineda endured inhumane and unsanitary conditions, sharing a cell with 40 to 60 people at a time. It was so crowded that Mr. Pineda couldn’t sit, lie down, or sleep. He was not allowed to bathe, brush his teeth, or change his clothes. He was provided with minimal water and inedible food. Mr. Pineda was released after two days of illegal confinement in Burlington. His money was never returned.
The incident reflects an alarming pattern of ICE’s unlawful and inhumane practices in Massachusetts, where federal agents regularly operate without following well-established state and federal law, including their own standards of enforcement. This is an outright disregard for basic constitutional protections and civil rights. No warrant or officer identification was produced before Mr. Pineda’s sudden and forceful seizure. The incident was unreasonable, unlawful, and deeply traumatizing. Mr. Pineda continues to experience severe psychological distress and recurring nightmares, lack of appetite, headaches, and memory loss. The incident has impacted his ability to work and placed his family in financial hardship.
“Mr. Pineda was racially profiled and targeted based solely on his national origin,” said Victoria Miranda, Senior Attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights. “The officers confiscated his Social Security card and work authorization card, indicating that they were aware of his legal status at the time of arrest. Still, they held him captive without cause in inhumane conditions for two days before correcting their mistake. This brutal disregard for civil rights has left lasting trauma, and the officers responsible must be held accountable.”
The complaint filed today is a required precursor to a federal tort claims lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Boston. LCR is demanding accountability and calling for an end to unlawful and reckless ICE operations in Massachusetts.
“Immigration enforcement cannot be a blank check for brutality,” said Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Rights. “When ICE officers ignore clear evidence of lawful status, detain people without warrants, and subject them to degrading conditions, they violate the Constitution. We demand accountability—not only for Mr. Pineda, but for immigrant families across Massachusetts who deserve safety and dignity under the law.”
“I still can’t sleep. I have nightmares every night, and my daughter is living in fear. She cries when she sees the police,” said José Pineda. “I came to this country for safety. ICE treated me like a criminal because of how I look and where I’m from—even though I followed every rule.”
Reeling from this traumatic ordeal, the Pineda family is receiving community support from Centro Presente, in addition to legal assistance from Lawyers for Civil Rights.
“José’s arrest was arbitrary and violated his fundamental human and civil rights. His case reflects an authoritarian agenda that criminalizes millions of immigrants in a very adverse context. We applaud the courage of Jose and his family, as by speaking out, they also motivate others to organize and fight against injustice,” said Patricia Montes, Executive Director of Centro Presente.
LCR’s complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, details how federal agents violated Mr. Pineda’s Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Amendment rights, and ignored federal regulations for ICE enforcement, including warrantless arrest, and illegal use of force. The complaint also raises claims of false imprisonment, assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Read the full complaint here.
