Man suffered brain injury and severe bruising after ICE arrest in Virginia, records show
José Mejía Hernandez, 45, who was hospitalized for his injuries, was then transferred to an ICE office and fitted with an ankle monitor A man in Virginia was hospitalized with a brain injury and severe bruising all over his face after he was arrested by US immigration agents, according to his lawyers, who shared photos and medical records with the Guardian. José Mejía Hernandez, 45, was walking…
José Mejía Hernandez, a 45-year-old man, was arrested by US immigration agents in Arlington, Virginia, on August 11. His lawyers claim that after the arrest, Mr. Hernandez suffered a brain injury and severe bruising. According to them, an unmarked vehicle chased him before the agents caught up and started hitting him with a stun gun.
Mr. Hernandez only regained consciousness hours later in the hospital, where he stayed for several days. ICE agents were present during his hospitalization. One day, a nurse told him he had suffered a brain bleed, and photos of his injuries showed him with severe bruising and visible cuts. ICE fitted him with an ankle monitor and gave him a notice to appear before an immigration judge.
However, Mr. Hernandez felt significantly worse and returned to the hospital on August 14. Doctors diagnosed him with a mild traumatic brain injury and a subarachnoid bleed. The ankle monitor made it difficult for him to undergo an MRI as required by his doctors, and ICE insisted on paperwork for the procedure. Finally, he got the MRI done, but the details of his injury remain unclear.
Mr. Hernandez is from Mexico and is in the country without authorization, now facing removal proceedings. His lawyers insist that ICE's explanation for his injuries seems disproportionate and unjustified, questioning the necessity of the violence used during his arrest.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
