SoCal residents upset ICE allegedly dragged away 2 gardeners halfway through lawn mowing, leaving machinery and truck

Residents of a neighborhood in Southern California are upset about the manner in which two gardeners were allegedly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The incident unfolded Thursday outside the home of Christopher Ames on Fifth Street in the city of Ontario. Ames told KTLA-TV his neighbors alerted him when they noticed that the gardeners were being detained.

‘I just think that’s wrong. … This is not the way we treat people, and this is not the way this country should be acting.’

“They left the lawn mower running right here on the front lawn,” Ames said. “They threw my gardeners’ phones in their [work truck], along with the car keys, left everything open, and just took off.”

The KTLA report showed how the arrest left Ames’ lawn halfway mowed.

Neighbors said the action bothered them.

“I understand people are just doing their jobs and people are here illegally,” said a woman named Rose, who said she watched the arrest from her home. “I get the entire picture. But to be scooped up in such a way, I just hope that they had the opportunity to reach out to their families.”

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Ames agreed.

“I just think that’s wrong,” he said. “This is not the way we treat people, and this is not the way this country should be acting.”

Later on Thursday evening, a family member named Luis picked up the truck and indicated to KTLA that the men had been taken by ICE agents. He said there was no contact yet from law enforcement about their detainment.

The Ontario Police Department confirmed to KTLA that ICE operations were performed in the city on Thursday morning. They would not comment on the specific case, however.

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