LOS ANGELES — A nine-months-pregnant American citizen was hospitalized after an altercation with federal immigration agents in Hawthorne, California, highlighting growing tensions over immigration enforcement — and raising civil rights concerns even for U.S. citizens.
Cary López Alvarado, a Los Angeles native, said she was shoved by masked Border Patrol agents on Sunday while attempting to block them from entering a gated parking lot without a warrant. Moments later, she lost her balance, crouched to protect her unborn baby, and was arrested along with her partner, cousin, and a co-worker.
“I crouched down and held my belly, because I was scared they would hurt me,” López Alvarado told Telemundo 52. She was released from custody later that day and taken to a hospital after experiencing sharp abdominal pain, just one week before her due date.
🔍 What Happened?
- López Alvarado was doing maintenance work with her cousin — both American citizens — when they opened a gated parking area for her undocumented partner, Brian Najera, and another co-worker.
- The two men had been followed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a marked vehicle.
- López Alvarado tried to stop agents from entering the lot, asserting it was private property and demanding a warrant.
- When she refused to move, agents forcibly pushed her aside. She recorded the interaction, telling them: “I’m going to need you guys to leave. This is private property.”
- She, her cousin, Najera, and the co-worker were all arrested. She told agents she was due to give birth on June 17. One responded, “OK, your baby is going to be born here, but you’re from Mexico, right?” to which she replied: “No, I was born here.”
📜 DHS Response
In a statement, Tricia McLaughlin of the Department of Homeland Security said:
“Cary Lopez was arrested because she obstructed federal law enforcement by blocking access to a car that had two Guatemalan illegal aliens in it.”
McLaughlin also cited a 413% increase in assaults on ICE officers, calling the trend “disgraceful.”
⚖️ Legal Gray Area
This incident raises critical questions about the Fourth Amendment and the limits of immigration enforcement:
- Was the gated parking lot considered private property? If so, agents may have required a judicial warrant — not just an administrative one — to enter without consent.
- López Alvarado believed she was within her rights to deny access. DHS disagreed.
Legal experts say these kinds of confrontations reflect the ambiguity surrounding constitutional protections in shared or semi-private spaces. And with increasing immigration raids, observers worry that citizens’ rights are getting caught in the crossfire.
🧭 Broader Impact
This case underscores the collateral consequences of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies — not only for undocumented immigrants but also for U.S. citizens who attempt to intervene.
López Alvarado’s arrest has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates who say the escalation reflects a broader erosion of due process and a disregard for individual liberties.
“Trump’s immigration agenda has always blurred the line between enforcement and intimidation,” said a local immigration attorney. “Now we’re seeing Americans, even pregnant women, swept up in it.”
As López Alvarado awaits the birth of her child, she now also faces potential legal consequences for obstruction — and a nation debates where the line should be drawn.
