Woman Clings to Tree to Avoid ICE Arrest in Los Angeles

• Woman arrested by ICE after chase
• She clung to a tree
• ICE confirms her detention

A dramatic video captured a woman in Los Angeles clinging to a tree while federal agents attempted to arrest her.

The scene unfolded on Monday, when federal agents pulled Celina Vanessa Hernández Ramírez down from the tree, arrested her, and transported her in a vehicle.

Aleca Le Blanc, a witness to the incident, told CNN that it was around 10:30 a.m. when she heard about an ICE raid targeting day laborers at a Home Depot.

She decided to drive to another Home Depot in Ladera Heights to check if there was also an operation happening there.

Woman Clings to Tree to Avoid ICE Arrest in Los Angeles

Upon arriving, she didn’t see any agents but spoke with a day laborer and with Celina Vanessa Hernández Ramírez, who left shortly afterward.

Five minutes later, Le Blanc said she saw Ramírez being chased by an older man in plain clothes, wearing a tactical belt and a gaiter covering his face.

“I basically see an older man chasing a young woman down the street, which is horrifying, and she’s running away out of fear,” Le Blanc recounted.

The witness decided to follow them and began recording with her cell phone as the pursuit unfolded.

In the video, Ramírez is seen wrapped around the trunk of a tree while the man tries forcefully to pull her off.

Two passersby also appear, as well as a man wearing a vest from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office, with his face covered.

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CNN blurred the images of the bystanders at Le Blanc’s request, as she expressed fear of retaliation.

During the recording, Le Blanc and others present demanded that the two agents identify themselves and show their credentials.

Three minutes later, a van arrived carrying more federal agents, all wearing masks, caps, and visible firearms.

At 3:45 p.m., an agent managed to pull Ramírez down from the tree, and she was arrested in a vehicle shortly afterward.

In the recording, at 4:39 p.m., Le Blanc asks Ramírez her birthday in Spanish.

“I think they saw a woman who looked like an immigrant and decided to chase her,” said Le Blanc. “It was very random.”

Authorities Confirm Detention and Official Version of the Operation

Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, told CNN:

“During operations on June 23, CBP encountered Celina Vanessa Hernández Ramírez, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who was in the United States without authorization. Despite verbal harassment from the public, agents ultimately apprehended and arrested her.”

Le Blanc said that Ramírez still doesn’t have a lawyer and is on waiting lists with two organizations to secure one.

Additionally, Le Blanc filed a formal complaint with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department regarding the incident.

The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) told CNN that they respect the privacy of the family and therefore are not exposing them publicly.

Ishell Linares-Soto, NDLON’s Director of Development, confirmed to CNN that Ramírez is the mother of a 4-year-old child.

ICE’s website indicates that Ramírez is in its custody but does not specify her location.

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SOURCE: CNN / Univision