A video showing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle appearing to strike a pedestrian has sparked condemnation from lawmakers who are seeking answers about the incident, but the Department of Homeland Security denied it in a statement shared with Newsweek. “This is false,” a spokesperson said. “ICE did NOT hit a pedestrian.”
Video footage shared on social media shows a black SUV striking a man, later identified as Antonio Moreida.
The video footage shows him flipping over and falling to the ground.
The spokesperson said that an “agitator” had “jumped onto the hood of an ICE vehicle and the officer driving applied the brakes,” and the person then “slid off the hood.”
The incident is currently being investigated.
Why It Matters
A common thread has emerged in several controversial ICE shootings: claims that a motorist was attempting to use a vehicle as a weapon against federal agents. Immigration authorities have relied on that explanation in cases involving U.S. citizens, including Renee Good and Ruben Ray Martinez, whose deaths drew renewed scrutiny after records revealed ICE's involvement had not been publicly disclosed for months.
Supporters of the agency say the incidents demonstrate the dangers agents face in the field, while critics argue the repeated reliance on vehicle-threat allegations highlights the need for independent investigations and greater transparency whenever immigration operations end in civilian deaths.
What to Know
Moreida spoke at the City of Woodland, California, City Council after the incident. “I’m Antonio, I’m the one that got hit earlier by ICE,” he said.
Moreida was trying to document suspected ICE activity in the area, according to KXTV-TV Sacramento. “We started blowing our whistles and honking our horns that ICE was here,” he said, per the outlet.
“I was there to document and run information to keep track and make sure that they are not hurting our neighbors in our community. It was not my intent to get hit,” he said, per KXTV-TV Sacramento.
The Yolo County District Attorney said in a social media statement that they are “aware of today’s events involving ICE agents,” but because of an “active investigation,” they cannot comment.
The Woodland Police Department said in a statement that it is “actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Police Chief Ryan Kinnan said, “I’ve seen the video myself, and I find it very troubling. I understand why people in our community are upset and worried.”
The Woodland Police Department added that they did not participate in the federal operation and that their role is “to investigate this collision independently and establish the facts.”
“The federal agency has been notified, and we have requested its full cooperation,” they added.
Newsweek has contacted the Woodland Police Department via email for further comment.
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Lawmakers Push for Answers After Incident
After the incident, lawmakers have called for answers.
Representative Mike Thompson, a California Democrat whose district includes Yolo County, said in a statement that “ICE cannot continue to terrorize our communities.
“I am in communication with local law enforcement, who have informed me that ICE was operating the vehicle in question and that an investigation is underway,” Thompson said, adding, “No one is above the law.”
Senator Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, shared video footage of the incident on X and said, “ICE and CBP are OUT OF CONTROL. Democrats WILL investigate their abuses when we win back Congress.”
The incident comes amid reports of increased enforcement activity in California as of early October.
Padilla, alongside Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and Republican Representative Adam Gray, demanded answers from ICE in response to increased activity in the area of Mendota earlier this month.
“Mendota is a hardworking agricultural community, and families should not have to fear going to work or taking their kids to school. Federal immigration laws must be enforced, but how that happens matters. We need answers about what’s taking place, who is being targeted and whether people’s rights are being protected,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.
Moreida also pushed for answers while speaking at the city council meeting.
“It’s not about me,” he said, as per video footage of the meeting reviewed by Newsweek. “Really, I guess I just wanted to follow up with ensuring, you know, some of the community's calls for action hopefully do come through. As far as hopefully, the city taking any sort of legal action or the investigation,” he said.
He alleged that ICE was “not concerned whatsoever,” following the incident, and said that he didn’t know “where this investigation is at.”
“I’m really annoyed to say the least,” he said.
ICE Faces Questions Over Incidents
The incident in California is the latest in a run of incidents for which ICE has been questioned.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson in California has called for ICE to be investigated after a video showed federal agents restraining and handcuffing a man who local officials say was injured during the incident.
The video appeared to show a man named Ricardo Gonzalez pinned down in a gutter as he yells that his arm is broken.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Gonzalez told Richardson he is a U.S. citizen.
DHS defended ICE’s actions and said its officers used the “minimum amount of force” and followed their training.
Separately, in a recent incident in Texas, a federal officer slammed a vehicle into a Houston construction worker, breaking his leg, while in pursuit of a man who had apparently died years ago, the Associated Press reported, citing a family statement.
Concerns over the conduct of ICE have surged throughout President Donald Trump’s second term in office, amid the enforcement of the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies.
A Newsweek analysis found that as of June of this year, 51 deaths had occurred in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since Trump returned to office.
In 2025, at least 33 people died in ICE custody, the highest annual total since 2004.
In the first half of 2026, 18 deaths have been reported, which means this year is on track to surpass last year's figure.
A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek, “We have seen a highly coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement.”
“This violence must end. Anybody who lays a hand on our officers or tries to obstruct them is committing a felony and a federal crime,” the spokesperson added.
What Happens Next
The investigation is ongoing, and police are appealing for information.
Anyone with information or video is asked to contact Woodland Police Department Dispatch at 530-666-2411.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Rebecca Flood, Gray R. Thomas