It is shortly after eight o'clock in the morning when traffic on US Route 1 in Hyattsville, Maryland, slows down. Car horns, congestion, the routine of a commuter corridor - until a scene unfolds in the middle of the intersection with Hamilton Street that tears the core of state violence into everyday life. Three officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) struggle with a man. He screams, again and again: "I am America. Please help me." His voice carries over the traffic noise, a desperate appeal that echoes back from the hoods of the waiting cars.
An ICE agent tries at the same time to pin the man down and tuck his service pistol into his waistband. The weapon slips from his hand, clatters onto the asphalt, is picked up again in a panic - and at that moment the barrel is not aimed at the suspect but at the crowd. "Put the gun down!" someone yells from the side. "You gonna shoot me?" asks a woman whose phone is filming the scene. For seconds the intersection stands still: children in the back seats, commuters not knowing whether to flee or stay, and an officer whose finger is on the trigger.
The location could hardly be more public. Route 1 leads directly into the capital, the intersection is one of the busiest traffic hubs in Prince George's County. Here, only ten miles from the White House, an ICE raid shattered normality. The video, recorded by photographer Raphi Talisman, shows the chaotic arrest in full length. It has long gone viral and sparked a debate that goes far beyond Hyattsville.
Because what is visible on the asphalt is more than a botched arrest. It is the symbol of an agency that relocates its operations into public space - right into rush-hour traffic, into the lives of bystanders. ICE actions are no longer isolated operations at airports or in courtrooms. They are part of everyday life, carried out in traffic jams, in neighborhoods, on open streets. That in the process a service weapon falls into the hands of an overwhelmed officer and is pointed at a crowd marks the escalation of this course.
ICE leadership so far refers to "internal reviews." But in Hyattsville criminal complaints have long been filed: residents, journalists, including us, and witnesses have filed complaints with the prosecutor's office, several civil society organizations speak of a clear case of endangerment of bystanders. Lawyers point out that it could involve not only disciplinary proceedings but also criminal consequences for negligent handling of a firearm in public.
The images from Hyattsville show how thin the line is that separates the claim to security from real danger. A man is brought to the ground under blows and grips while shouting "I am America." A federal agent loses control of his pistol and points it at bystanders. The intersection, symbol of urban routine, becomes a front line.
The case is a confession of failure for a country in which an immigration authority is acting more and more aggressively, a president is increasingly out of control - and in the process crossing boundaries it should actually protect. Hyattsville experienced a state of emergency for seconds. What remains is the question of how many such scenes go unnoticed - but we are committed to making these cases visible, pursuing them consistently, and ensuring support for those affected.
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