Nancy Martinez, a longtime New Haven resident, is suing the federal government on behalf of herself and her children for what she alleges was an intentionally distressing arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents, involving assault and recklessness, last year — events that continue to cause severe emotional distress for her and her children. Martinez and her attorneys at the Yale Law School’s Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic announced the lawsuit on Monday at a press conference. According to the legal complaint, Martinez spent 15 years living in New Haven before she was detained in front of her 8-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter on June 9, 2025, as Martinez was taking them to school. On that day, masked and armed ICE agents in unmarked vehicles surrounded Martinez and her children and told Martinez they were “with the police.” Martinez was taken from her still-running vehicle and handcuffed, and no warrant was shown, according to the complaint. As officers left with Martinez and her children wept on the sidewalk, agents “did not confirm whether the children had a caretaker, as required by law, after taking their mother away.” The events took less than four minutes. At Monday’s press conference, Martinez recounted those events by video from Mexico City, where she spoke through a translator. “In the back of the ICE car, handcuffed and surrounded by agents, I had my first ever panic attack,” she said. “As a mother, I take pride in being a planner, coordinating my work schedule around teachers’ conferences, doctors’ appointments and sports matches. But nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared me for what I saw looking out the window: there were my children clinging to their grandma and calling out to me as I got farther and farther away.” A month later, after being shuffled between detention centers, Martinez was deported to Mexico, where she remains. Sen. Richard Blumenthal spoke on behalf of the Martinez family and said that ICE agents were in the wrong. “Words are fine, but action is necessary,” Blumenthal said. “All of us have an obligation to recognize that we must act to make our federal government follow the law and vindicate the rights of Nancy Martinez and others who have been harmed so grievously.” Brenda Cachay Gutiérrez, a student intern at the Yale Law School Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic, said that ICE agents had every opportunity to operate in accordance with the law, their agency standards and basic human decency, but they did not. “Today’s lawsuit harnesses the language of law to fight for a simple idea: all families in our country, all children in our country deserve to be protected,” Gutiérrez said. Gutiérrez said that the events of June were not isolated to Martinez but were an example of the Trump administration’s retaliatory actions against states like Connecticut and cities like New Haven where people have spoken up against mass deportations and created legal protections for immigrants. Martinez’s daughter, Monse, also spoke to reporters on Monday. “They took away my best friend, my confidant and hard-working provider and parent, and my safe place,” she said. Monse, who now must care for her younger brother, said she used to feel like a “normal kid” but now finds it painful to see the impact of her mother’s absence on her brother, who has trouble sleeping and “is constantly scared and doesn’t want to leave my side.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal addresses Monse, a young woman whose mother was detained by ICE last year, at a press conference in New Haven on June 15, 2026. Credit: Laura Tillman / CT Mirror According to the complaint, her brother, who has developmental disabilities, frequently interrupts class with his crying since his mother was detained. He’s also lashed out at security officers and other uniformed personnel at his school and can no longer sleep in his own bedroom. He worries that Monse will be taken away, despite the fact that both children are U.S. citizens, Monse said. Monse, meanwhile, has experienced anxiety and distractedness that make it difficult for her to attend to schoolwork. In the summer, she sells flan and chocolate-covered strawberries to support her family. Martinez said she has experienced repeated panic attacks and is under medical care. According to the complaint, Martinez entered the U.S. in 2010 and was removed, then reentered the country later that year. She remained here for 15 years. Martinez had been attending court hearings over a charge of third-degree assault and breach of peace after an altercation with her sister-in-law over a babysitting dispute and was assigned anger management classes, the document states. ICE did not immediately return a request for comment. ...read more read less