BOSTON – A mother who was allegedly violently attacked by masked federal immigration officers in front of her two U.S. citizen children has filed a federal lawsuit against the United States. The lawsuit, filed today by Lawyers for Civil Rights and Zimmer, Citron & Clarke LLP, alleges that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers illegally arrested and assaulted Hilda Ramirez Sanan, a lawful permanent resident, during a September 2025 encounter near Chelsea District Court in Massachusetts.
According to the complaint, officers forcibly arrested Ramirez Sanan, who LCR states has lived lawfully in the United States for more than 20 years, without first asking about her immigration status or checking the identification in her purse.
Ramirez Sanan brings the lawsuit with her daughter, Michelle Ramirez Sanan, who was 17 at the time of the arrest, and her son, identified as J.R.S., who was 13 years old at the time. Michelle Ramirez Sanan testified earlier this year on behalf of her family at a Congressional hearing on ICE abuses against children. She was also featured in Teen Vogue.
The complaint alleges four unmarked vehicles surrounded and blocked the family’s car before at least eight masked and armed ICE officers shattered two of the windows.
According to the complaint, without identifying themselves, the ICE officers then forcibly removed Ramirez Sanan from the car, pushed her against a fence, and twisted her arms behind her back while she cried out in pain. One officer then allegedly kicked her, and three officers slammed her face-first onto the concrete sidewalk, causing her to briefly lose consciousness.
Both of Ramirez Sanan’s children were detained and watched in fear during their mother’s attack.
The ICE officers allegedly forcibly removed J.R.S. from the car despite his age and a visible disability placard. An officer questioned him about his immigration status and threatened to arrest him while he cried.
When Michelle rushed to the scene after learning her family had been stopped, an ICE officer allegedly physically restrained her and told her to “shut up” when she told them her brother has autism.
ICE officers continued their arrest of Ramirez Sanan despite repeated statements from her and bystanders that she has legal status, according to LCR. As officers were about to force her into an unmarked vehicle, local Chelsea police intervened and requested an identification check. ICE officers then released her.
The family has reportedly suffered physical pain and lasting emotional trauma from the incident.
“My family lives every day with the consequences of what ICE did to our family,” said Hilda Ramirez Sanan. “I want my children to know that we will stand up to fight for ourselves and the rights of immigrants who have also suffered abuse by ICE officers.”
“ICE’s attack on the Ramirez Sanan family was brazen, inhumane, and deeply illegal,” said Jillian Lenson, senior attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights. “The family deserves justice, and the government must be held accountable for the enduring harm and trauma they imposed on a mother and her two children in the heart of their own community.”
“A mother and her children should not have to fear being violently attacked by the very people entrusted with enforcing our laws,” said Rachel Shalev, Partner at Zimmer, Citron & Clarke. “Our clients were subjected to an extraordinary abuse of government power. This lawsuit is about holding the federal government accountable for the harm it caused.”
The complaint brings eight claims against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act, including claims arising from the alleged unlawful detention, physical assault and emotional harm suffered by the family, as well as negligent supervision and damage to their property.
With support from Lawyers for Civil Rights, the family submitted an administrative claim to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE on Dec. 15, 2025, a required precursor for litigation. Under the FTCA, once six months have elapsed without a response, a lawsuit may be filed in federal court. As ICE continues to deploy unlawful enforcement tactics, Lawyers for Civil Rights and Zimmer, Citron & Clarke will fight to hold the federal government accountable.
Watch videos of the interaction here.
Read the full complaint here.
