About the Case
In June 2025, longtime New Haven resident Nancy Martinez was separated from her family by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as she was taking her kids to school. One year later, Ms. Martinez filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of herself and her two minor children seeking damages for ICE’s aggressive and unlawful conduct during her arrest.
On June 15, 2026, Ms. Martinez announced the filing of the lawsuit at a press conference at Yale Law School joined by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Mayor Justin Elicker, and community leaders. The complaint, brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), alleges tortious conduct by the ICE officers that arrested and detained Ms. Martinez.
As stated in the complaint, on the morning of her arrest, Ms. Martinez had just started the family car to take her children to school when unmarked SUVs and masked ICE officers surrounded her family. Without identifying themselves, the ICE officers pulled Ms. Martinez out of her car, put her in handcuffs, and drove her away in an unmarked vehicle, leaving Ms. Martinez’s car running and her children crying on the sidewalk. ICE detained Ms. Martinez for more than a month before deporting her to Mexico.
The complaint alleges that ICE undertook targeted enforcement actions in and around New Haven in order to retaliate against the city and state of Connecticut for maintaining policies that the Trump Administration sees as pro-immigrant. The complaint also alleges that ICE used aggressive enforcement tactics with the primary goal of intimidating the Martinez family and terrorizing the greater New Haven immigrant community, thereby abusing its power to enforce immigration laws.
Case Documents
Media Coverage
Woman Arrested by ICE in New Haven Files Federal Lawsuit Over Detention, WFSB, June 15, 2026
New Haven Mother Sues Federal Government Over ICE Detainment, CT Mirror, June 15, 2026
ICE Deported this New Haven Mom Last Year. Now She’s Suing, Connecticut Public Radio, June 15, 2026