Masked immigration authorities were recorded on video this week following a woman back to her Louisiana home during what the Department of Homeland Security is calling a “targeted immigration enforcement operation.”
Jacelynn Guzman, 23, was walking home Thursday from a corner store in Marrero, a New Orleans suburb, when a silver, unmarked SUV pulled up next to her and two masked agents exited, she said.
“I was walking and the first car pulled up on the side of me and I thought it was an Uber,” she said. “They said, ‘Wait don’t run, Ma’am.’ That’s all I heard before I blasted off,” Guzman told NBC News on Saturday.
Guzman said she repeatedly told the agents she’s a U.S. citizen.
“I just kept repeating it — I’m a U.S.-born citizen. I was born and raised here. This is my home. My baby’s waiting for me,” she recalled.
She said an agent responded by saying, “OK, that’s fine, come here,” but she kept running. She said a second SUV pulled up shortly after.
“As soon as I started running, one of the cars started speeding up with me, but then he went ahead of me and I felt like he thought maybe I was going to keep running,” Guzman said.
Security footage shared with NBC News by Guzman’s mother, Ramona Anglin, showed an SUV pulling up next to Guzman before two masked agents appeared on foot tailing behind Guzman as she ran to her property.
She screamed “Leave me alone” and then disappeared out of view, apparently into the home. The two masked men chased after her but stopped running at the property line, the video shows.
A second video Anglin shared with NBC News showed Guzman’s stepfather shouting at five agents from inside the property line.
“Get the f— out of here,” he shouted.
The agents left in two SUVs shortly afterward, the video shows.
On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security reposted the security footage published by a local news outlet and offered an explanation of the events.
“U.S. Border Patrol was conducting a targeted immigration enforcement operation against a criminal illegal alien previously charged with felony theft and convicted of illegal possession of stolen property,” the agency said.
“As the agents exited their vehicle, they encountered a female matching the description of the target. Agents identified themselves and the individual ran toward her residence,” the department wrote. “Agents immediately stopped upon reaching the property, determined the individual in question was not the target, and all agents departed the area.”
No arrests were made, DHS added.
A spokesperson for DHS did not immediately return a request for further comment.
Guzman said she’s doing “OK” since the ordeal.
“I keep playing over different things I could have done. But I think in that moment it was just panic and my first thought was I have to get home to my baby,” she said.
She said she was aware of federal immigration operations detaining people, adding, “I kind of was always watching my back, but not as much I guess.”
She urged people to “be strong” amid the immigration crackdown.
“I know it’s hard to be strong in such difficult times, but just be safe, watch over your family,” she said.
The video from Marrero comes days after the Trump administration launched immigration enforcement operations in New Orleans and Minneapolis. Trump also said on Tuesday that he would be sending National Guard troops to Louisiana.
