Massachusetts lawyer group files complaint against ICE over incident involving mother, two children

BOSTON – According to a release, Lawyers for Civil Rights today filed a Federal Tort Claims Act complaint against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on behalf of a Chelsea mother and her two children who they say were illegally and forcefully detained by ICE officers while accompanying a family member to a court hearing. LCR states that the mother, Hilda Ramirez Sanan, has lived in the United States for more than 20 years and is a lawful permanent resident (green card holder). Her teenage children are both U.S. citizens.

According to LCR, the interaction, much of which was captured on video, began near the Chelsea courthouse on the morning of September 26, 2025. “Multiple unmarked vehicles surrounded and blocked Ms. Ramirez Sanan’s car, which had a clearly visible disability placard hanging from the rearview mirror. Within moments, at least eight armed and masked officers—without identifying themselves or giving the passengers a chance to cooperate or provide identification—swarmed Ms. Ramirez Sanan’s car and smashed her driver-side windows. Ms. Ramirez Sanan was covered in shards of glass.”

LCR also alleges that “ICE officers then forcefully pulled Ms. Ramirez Sanan, who is 50 years old, from the car. In a shocking display of lawlessness, the officers then violently arrested Ms. Ramirez Sanan—a lawful immigrant—by forcefully twisting her arms back to handcuff her, kicking her, and smashing her against the ground face-first—all in front of her terrified children.”

LCR went on to state that the officers also allegedly “reached into the car to unbuckle her 13-year-old son’s seatbelt and grabbed his arms to forcibly pull the child—who is on the Autism Spectrum—out of the car. ICE officers questioned the shaking, crying 13-year-old about his legal status, age, and who he lived with. An officer threatened to arrest the 13-year-old if he did not answer or produce proof of legal status, despite his age, obvious distress, and disability. ICE officers then attempted to abduct Ms. Ramirez Sanan, forcing her into one of their unmarked vehicles. Only when local police insisted that the ICE officers check Ms. Ramirez Sanan’s identification first—which showed her lawful status—did ICE release her.”  

Ramirez Sanan reportedly suffered a concussion, bruising, and a radial nerve palsy in the incident.

According to the lawyer group, the thirteen-year-old boy has been crying inconsolably, refusing to be separated from his mom, and unable to sleep due to recurring nightmares about the incident where he cries out, “Don’t kill my mom.” Every time the family passes by the scene, which is frequently because they live nearby, he repeats: “That’s where they hurt my mom.”

“The extreme and senseless cruelty invoked on longstanding Chelsea residents in the heart of their community should shock and alarm all of us,” said Jillian Lenson, Senior Attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights. “The ICE officers did not even identify themselves, let alone provide an explanation or warrant, before violently assaulting the family. The behavior was illegal, shameless, and inhumane. The family deserves justice. We will keep fighting for accountability and justice on behalf of immigrants and their families.”

“My family is broken and will never be the same,” said Hilda Ramirez Sanan. “I don’t know how to explain to my children why ICE treated us this way. I am still in daily pain from my injuries. As a mother, the hardest part is seeing how scared and traumatized my children are. I hope to help prevent this from happening to other innocent families.”

LCR’s complaint, filed today with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleges that “federal officers violated the family’s Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights, ignored federal statute and regulations for ICE enforcement, and committed multiple legal violations, including warrantless arrest, false imprisonment, assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.”

The complaint is a required precursor to a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Boston.

Lawyers for Civil Rights released video clips which can be viewed, here.