Two ASC employees charged after interfering with ICE arrest in viral incident

Editor's Note

Two workers at an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) are facing federal charges after allegedly interfering with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest, The Independent July 27 reports. The federal agents reportedly arrested one of the workers and are pursuing the other after both were accused of assaulting ICE officers during a July 9 confrontation at the SCA Health Ontario Advanced Surgery Center in Southern California.

According to the article, the incident—which has reignited debate over immigration enforcement tactics in clinical settings—began when plainclothes ICE agents pursued a suspected undocumented immigrant into the ASC. Video footage, which quickly spread online, shows a masked agent physically holding a female staff member by the neck as she tried to block the arrest while shouting.

ICE agents were conducting a roving patrol when they stopped a truck carrying three men, per the article. As the agents approached, two of the men fled, with one—identified as a Honduran national living in the US illegally—entering the ASC. Federal authorities allege a staff member helped him escape into the building. Inside, the altercation between agents and ASC staff escalated. Federal officials emphasized the Honduran national ICE was pursuing was not a patient at the ASC.

According to the criminal complaint, the charges against the ASC employees carry significant penalties: up to 8 years in prison for assault and 6 for conspiracy to interfere with a federal officer. As detailed in the article, advocacy groups have pointed to excessive force and political targeting. At a press conference, a relative of one of the targeted immigrants said the arrests were “not about law enforcement” but about “silencing” dissent. Citing safety concerns, officials said the ICE agents involved will remain anonymous.