An immigrant rights activist who has said she was detained by Border Patrol agents in retaliation for protesting the arrest of her mother spoke out publicly for the first time Monday, announcing she will apply for protections as a “Dreamer” in the hopes of avoiding deportation.
Claudia Rueda, 22, grew emotional as she stood in front of a detention center in downtown Los Angeles, describing her time in federal custody as a “nightmare.”
“In there, it was always orders and orders. It was very dehumanizing,” she said.
Rueda was released from custody on June 9. She was arrested in front of her aunt’s Boyle Heights home on May 18 when agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection descended on the area. The Border Patrol has said the agents were carrying out a drug investigation when they snatched up Rueda and six others; none of the people arrested that day were charged with drug offenses.
Read the full story on LATimes.com.