US Senator Patty Murray has condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after alleging that an 'attack dog' mauled a constituent during a detention in Washington state. Wilmer Toledo-Martinez, an undocumented immigrant brought to the US at age 15, suffered 'horrific' injuries when an agent released a dog on him, according to Murray.
Murray stated that ICE agents lured Toledo-Martinez outside his home by posing as a construction worker who claimed to have hit his car. Another agent, hiding nearby with a dog, released the animal shortly after Toledo-Martinez stepped outside. The senator said he was not resisting arrest or attempting to flee at the time.
Toledo-Martinez was detained in front of his wife and two young children, all US citizens. Following the attack, he was left shaking and dizzy, with his vision going black at one point, yet was denied medical care for hours. He eventually received stitches at a hospital but was not provided all prescribed medication.
Murray called for his immediate release, saying: 'I do not want to live in an America where federal agents can sic attack dogs on peaceful residents with impunity and face no consequences.' The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to a request for comment.
The incident comes amid other reports of aggressive ICE tactics, including an agent allegedly running over a man's foot during an arrest in Vancouver, Washington, and a congresswoman being sprayed with a chemical agent during a protest against an immigration raid in Tucson, Arizona.
