US Citizen Detained by ICE for Nearly Two Hours Despite Showing ID

Detained Without Cause

• 🚗 Miguel Angel Ponce Jr., a U.S. citizen, was stopped by ICE agents on his way to work, initially due to a trash truck blocking the road.
• 🚨 Agents, wearing all brown uniforms, approached his car and demanded his ID, which he provided.
• ❓ Despite showing his ID and stating he was a U.S. citizen born in College Station, Texas, Ponce was ordered out of his car and handcuffed.

Misidentification and Confusion

• 🚓 Ponce was placed in the backseat of an ICE vehicle and taken to a church parking lot, where agents continued to question him for nearly two hours.
• 🖼️ Agents showed him a picture, claiming it was him, but he couldn't confirm it was him and insisted it was not.
• 🔑 Agents repeatedly asked for his social security number and birthday, suggesting another individual with the same birthdate and social security number but an "American name" was involved.
• 🗣️ Ponce expressed frustration and aggravation, noting the agents' laughter and jokes, and questioned why local authorities could identify him quickly while ICE agents took so long.

ICE's Stated Reason vs. Experience

• 📄 ICE later stated they were looking for a violent criminal convicted of multiple child sex offenses, a fact not communicated to Ponce during his detention.
• 📢 Ponce was only told he had an order for deportation and a prior encounter with ICE, which he denied.
• 📰 He felt further hurt when news reports detailed the charges against the person ICE was allegedly looking for, making him appear as a "weirdo."

Lack of Due Diligence and Aftermath

• 🧐 Ponce suggested agents check for tattoos, a distinctive feature he possessed, as a way to verify identity, which he felt should have been a primary step.
• 🗣️ Instead of an apology, agents told him they were "just doing their job" and advised him to shave his beard to avoid future confusion.
• 😟 The experience left Ponce feeling angry and paranoid, impacting his sense of safety and that of his family, despite being a U.S. citizen with all necessary documentation.