Protesters decry immigration enforcement as outrage grows over woman’s detainment in Key Largo
Protesters came together in the Florida Keys to raise their voices against what they described as aggressive immigration enforcement that s sweeping the country one day after the detainment of a woman by federal agents sparked outrage and calls for accountability News cameras captured demonstrators most of of them concerned residents of the Upper Keys as they held up signs in front of the Islamorada Masses Library Branch late Thursday morning The protest takes place after a woman who was driving through Key Largo when she was stopped by federal agents violently pulled from her car and briefly detained in front of Pink Plaza at Mile Marker early Wednesday morning It is outrageous explained protester Dr Susana May Cellphone video recorded by Miami Herald reporter David Goodhue captured the tense moments when federal agents largest part of them with their faces covered pulled the screaming woman out of her Toyota Corolla I m a U S citizen Please help me the woman shouted as she was placed in handcuffs This is unfair Why are you doing this to me Goodhue spoke with News via video call hours later It looked like Immigration and Customs Enforcement U S Customs and Margin Protection and Boundary Patrol with the local sheriff s office doing various backup commented Goodhue The protesters who came together in Islamorada stated the episode left them with certain concerning questions Why did they pull her over She wasn t doing anything wrong What made them pull her over noted May Patty Simonetta one of the protest s organizers also weighed in on the woman s detainment She was screaming for help She was screaming that she s an American citizen and it didn t seem to matter she reported This is America It looked like the secret police in a Gestapo-like country noted May Demonstrators on Thursday took their concerns to U S Sen Ashley Moody s office hours in Islamorada This is not the America that we grew up in revealed a protester Speaking with News via video call Goodhue described the traffic stop that he captured on video I think they re asking her for her ID Didn t appear like she had her identification on her and then after a while things got rough as you can see he commented News is independently working to obtain more information about the woman the reason for her detainment and which agency detained her A spokesperson for the Monroe County Sheriff s Office explained deputies were called to help keep the peace and keep traffic flowing They directed the rest of News questions to federal officials They pulled her out cuffed her She was screaming At one point she noted she s a U S citizen and then they put her into one of their SUVs and then about minutes later they let her go announced Goodhue We re here for that woman whoever she is and whatever she requirements mentioned Simonetta and we re all here to speak out to Ashley Moody to say please if you really care help us speak up say something This isn t right News has reached out to several agencies including ICE CBP and the Department of Homeland Defense to obtain more information about this detainment As of Thursday afternoon none of these agencies have responded The Miami Herald released similar enforcement has been happening in the aame area where the woman was stopped over the past several weeks
