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An immigration arrest that took place this week in Michigan has sparked controversy on social media after a video surfaced showing witnesses alleging the use of force by federal agents during the detention of a Cuban individual.
The incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. on March 4 at the parking lot of the Aspen Chase apartments in Ypsilanti Township, when agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies detained two men during an operation targeting a Cuban citizen identified as Rodolfo Pérez Calunga, according to the American media MLive.
In the recording, made by activist Gloria Sendejo, the woman is heard repeatedly warning about what was happening.
“They're hitting him... they're hitting him...,” he says several times throughout the video while filming the scene. In another segment, he claims that the agents “sprayed him with gas and are hitting him,” and states that one of them had a baton.
Sendejo later explained that he witnessed several agents pinning one of the men to the ground while they pulled the other out of a van. According to his testimony, the detainee had already been beaten and sprayed with pepper spray before being restrained.
"They had already beaten him. They had sprayed him with pepper spray. They had jumped on top of him," reported the activist, as quoted by MLive.
The video also captures screams and confusion among those present. At one point, the woman claims that one of the men was a U.S. citizen, while the agents continued the arrest.
What does ICE say?
A spokesperson for ICE confirmed to MLive/The Ann Arbor News that the agents were conducting a vehicle stop specifically targeting Pérez Calunga.
According to the official version, a second man, described as a "troublemaker" and a U.S. citizen, allegedly tried to prevent the arrest by blocking the driver's door of the Cuban's vehicle and obstructing the work of federal agents.
"He stated that he would not allow the agents to arrest Calunga," said the spokesperson.
Authorities also confirmed that pepper spray was used during the operation, although they stated that the baton, which some witnesses claimed to have seen, was not used against the detainees.
Situation of the detained Cuban
According to court records cited by MLive, Pérez Calunga had no pending cases either in Washtenaw County or in federal or Wayne County courts.
He is currently detained at the North Lake Correctional Center in Baldwin, a facility that operates as an immigration detention center.
The other man arrested is under investigation for allegedly obstructing a federal agent, although ICE did not confirm whether he was subsequently released.
A climate of increasing migratory tension
The case occurs in the context of an increase in immigration operations in Michigan. Data cited by local media indicates that ICE arrests in the state nearly tripled in 2025, with thousands of people detained, many of whom have no criminal record.
In recent months, operations have also been reported near residential communities and schools in the Ypsilanti area, raising concerns among activists and organizations that monitor the activities of immigration authorities.
Meanwhile, the video of the Cuban's arrest continues to circulate on social media and has reignited the debate about the tactics used in immigration operations in the United States, especially when they take place in residential areas and in broad daylight.
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