ICE agent caught on camera pepper spraying activists' car as DHS limits vehicle stops
ICE pausing most traffic stops amid deadly shootings
The Trump administration is ordering its ICE agents to hold off on most traffic stops. The new policy comes in the wake of recent shootings involving federal agents.
VENTURA, Calif. - An ICE agent was caught on camera Tuesday jumping out of his vehicle in the middle of a Ventura roadway to pepper spray the car of community activists who were tracking his movements, the same week the Department of Homeland Security announced it was pulling back on most vehicle stops nationwide following two deadly incidents.
Around 6:50 a.m. Tuesday, cell phone video captured the ICE agent stopping in the middle of the road on an exit off the southbound 101 Freeway in Ventura to confront Ryan Drury, a volunteer with VC Defensa, a community group that alerts residents when immigration agents are operating in the area.
"They do this just to be vindictive," Drury said.
According to Drury, the agent's actions followed a pattern he says he has seen before.
"When we stopped the car from moving at all, they do what they normally do and take out their pepper spray and spray the air-conditioning vent, so that if the driver turns on the air conditioning, then bear mace and pepper spray will come through the vents," Drury said.
Video shows the agent pepper spraying the car, and even with his mask on, he appears to smile, gives a small wave, then walks away.
Drury says the agent also positioned himself in front of the vehicle, something he claims is intentional.
"He tried to position his body in front of the car. As we've seen in many, many instances, they try to put their body in front of the car. It's understood now that they're doing this because this is what they're trained to do: They put themselves in the way of the car so that they can use lethal and deadly force," Drury said.
The confrontation comes as DHS orders ICE agents nationwide to halt most vehicle stops following two fatal shootings during immigration stops this past week, one in Texas and one in Maine. Stops will continue for people with serious or violent criminal histories.
Drury isn't convinced the policy change reflects a real shift.
"My reaction is that this is another PR spin, a response to the mass outrage," he said.
He says no matter what new policies DHS issues, VC Defensa's mission won't change.
The group says it will continue alerting the community when ICE is in the area.
"People of conscience have a responsibility to do what needs to be done to defend the immigrant community that's being attacked, profiled, brutalized and murdered in the streets," Drury said.
FOX 11 reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the new, temporary policy. In a statement, DHS said: "We are always evaluating our procedures to keep our officers safe and criminals off our streets. We will not disclose or discuss law enforcement tactics."