Houston Teen Beaten and Choked During Controversial ICE Operation, Sparking Outrage

A 16-year-old U.S. citizen from Houston was beaten, choked, and subjected to racial slurs during an early-morning immigration-enforcement operation, according to reports from a local immigrant-rights group. The teen, Arnoldo Bazan, and his father, Arnulfo Bazan, were targeted by masked agents in an unmarked vehicle while Arnoldo was on his way to school.

According to Arnoldo, the officers did not identify themselves and wore uniforms with no official insignia, causing panic as they attempted to approach the father and son.

“Their vests, they didn’t say ‘police,’ ‘ICE,’ nothing. And that’s when me and my dad got scared because they started hitting our window, tried to open the door,” Arnoldo said.

The father and son attempted to flee, only to be intercepted later in a restaurant-supply store, where agents allegedly tackled, kicked, and punched them. Arnoldo says he was recording the incident on his phone when the agents confiscated it, and that he was choked more aggressively after telling them he was underage.

The agents reportedly subjected the father and son to racial slurs, including calling them “border hoppers.” Arnoldo was released after a few hours, but his father remains in ICE custody in Conroe.

The incident has drawn scrutiny from FIEL Houston, a local immigrant-rights organization, which emphasizes that federal regulations require ICE agents to identify themselves when making an arrest. Videos from the scene show some agents wearing vests marked “POLICE,” but it remains unclear whether the initial contact complied with federal rules.

Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston, stressed that the incident is part of a broader pattern of aggressive immigration-enforcement operations happening across the country, including Houston.

“When politicians or others say this is not happening in Houston, think again. It is happening here, and we have ample proof of it,” Espinosa said.

Family members echoed the call for accountability. Maria Bazan, Arnoldo’s older sister, described the operation as a warning for the broader community:

“We do ask for justice, not only for my family but for all those other families who are out there who cannot get their voices heard and who are probably feeling really scared right now… That is not what America stands for, and that’s why we’re here fighting for what others cannot fight for.”

The incident raises urgent questions about how ICE conducts enforcement operations, the use of excessive force, and the protection of U.S. citizens from mistreatment during immigration actions. It also highlights the fear experienced by immigrant families even when their children are American citizens.