A 23-year-old US citizen who was chased by masked federal agents outside her home in New Orleans has said she believes she was targeted because of her ethnicity. Jacelynn Guzman told WWL Louisiana that she was walking back from a corner store in Marrero on Wednesday when an SUV pulled up and masked men in tactical gear poured out.
Home security footage showed Guzman sprinting towards her front door as agents ran after her, shouting, 'Leave me alone!' She said she thought she was being kidnapped. The Department of Homeland Security said agents were seeking someone matching Guzman's description in connection with a deportation order, but later determined she was not the target and left without making arrests.
Guzman, who is Hispanic, said she had no criminal record and told one agent she was a US citizen born and raised in the country. 'That's honestly all I can think of … It makes me scared for my family,' she said, adding that she feared she was racially profiled. The Trump administration has deployed immigration agents across the New Orleans area as part of an operation focusing on violent offenders, though the person sought in Guzman's case had been convicted of non-violent offences.
Guzman's stepfather confronted the agents, pointing out that at least one of them appeared Hispanic. 'Hispanic people against Hispanic people, bro!' he shouted. The incident has heightened fears among immigrant communities in the region, where dozens have been arrested in the ongoing sweep.
