Providence ICE Video of Father Holding Toddlers: Jack Reed, Ayanna Pressley React
On Oct. 20, 2026, a bystander in Providence, Rhode Island, filmed masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents trying to detain a Guatemalan father, identified by The Boston Globe only as Sebastian, while he held his two young children, who are U.S. citizens. The children are heard crying throughout the video; the woman filming asks the agents for a warrant, and one agent threatens to pepper-spray her. An agent is heard on a handheld radio saying "This gentleman has two kids. … You wanna keep him or let him go?" The agents ultimately released the man, telling him to report to ICE within days. He told the Globe he is undocumented and has been seeking legal help to adjust his status; the Globe found no criminal record for him in Rhode Island. ICE told the Globe that "there was no arrest, no accident, and no detention of children," that officers "spoke with the driver, provided the necessary paperwork, and departed the scene," and called the description of an attempted detention "fake news." The video spread widely, drawing condemnation from Sen. Jack Reed and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
“[On Facebook, sharing the video:] No Rhode Islander can watch this video of a man trying to keep his children safe … Surely we can acknowledge that traumatizing toddlers on the streets of Providence is a betrayal of our values as Americans.”