Atrocities Committed by Feds Detailed in Court Filings

Use of Force, Intimidation, and Inhumane Detention

In January 2025, the U.S. Border Patrol launched "Operation Return to Sender" in California’s Central Valley, a sweeping enforcement action that has since become the subject of a major federal lawsuit.

The case, United Farm Workers, et al. v. Noem, et al., Case 1:25-cv-00246-JLT-CDB, alleges a pattern of government atrocities—systematic abuses that have shocked the conscience of the communities affected and the broader public.

The Lawsuit: United Farm Workers, et al. v. Noem, et al.

On February 26, 2025, the United Farm Workers union and five individual plaintiffs filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The defendants include Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other federal officials, all of whom are sued in their official capacities.

The complaint alleges that during "Operation Return to Sender," Border Patrol agents engaged in a campaign of suspicionless stops, warrantless arrests, and coercive tactics to force voluntary departures, all targeting Latino farm workers and day laborers.

The plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief, class certification, and the return of expelled individuals, arguing that the operation violated the Fourth and Fifth Amendments as well as statutory and regulatory requirements.

Civil Complaint

848KB ∙ PDF file

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Plaintiff Filing

283KB ∙ PDF file

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The Atrocities: Direct Accounts from the Filings

Use of Force, Intimidation, and Inhumane Detention

The most severe allegations involve the use of physical force and intimidation by Border Patrol agents.

The complaint details a couple of incidents related to these alleged infractions:

"When a person in a vehicle declined to answer Border Patrol agents’ questions or consent to the encounter, the agents similarly escalated the encounter by blocking the car in, smashing the car’s windows, slashing the car’s tires, and/or ordering or physically pulling people out of vehicles and handcuffing them."

The filing also noted that federal detainees were held in:

[F]reezing cold cells without adequate food, hygiene products, or sleeping accommodations. The lights were kept on 24/7, and detainees were denied access to showers or proper bedding, causing physical and emotional distress.

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Warrantless, Race-Based Stops and Arrests

The operation was characterized by stops and arrests based on racial profiling and occupation, without reasonable suspicion or warrants. The complaint states,

"[The] Operation was a nearly weeklong sweep through predominantly Latino areas… to stop, detain, and arrest people of color who appeared to be farm workers or day laborers, regardless of their actual immigration status or individual circumstances."

The document also stated that Border Patrol "relied on a practice of conducting detentive stops regardless of reasonable suspicion that a person was in the country unlawfully." Arrests were made "without probable cause to believe that the person posed a risk of escape" and without assessing flight risk as required by law.

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Coercion and Deception in Voluntary Departure

Once detained, many individuals were pressured into signing voluntary departure agreements. The complaint details,

Agents coerced and deceived detained individuals into accepting voluntary departure agreements without informing them of the consequences or their rights to a hearing before an immigration judge.

It further alleges, "Agents provided a slew of misinformation about voluntary departure."

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Disregard for Family and Community Ties

The operation’s impact extended beyond those directly detained.

[Agents] ignored evidence of detainees’ deep ties to their communities, such as long-term residency, employment, and family connections, when making arrests.

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Personal Stories: Humanizing the Atrocities

The filings are replete with harrowing personal accounts that illustrate the human cost of these government actions.

• Oscar Morales Cisneros: "Two agents wearing green 'Border Patrol' uniforms stood outside his truck. According to Morales Cisneros, a Spanish-speaking agent, later identified as 'Officer Sanchez,' asked if he 'had papers and was here legally.'
  
  Morales Cisneros 'exercised [his] right to remain silent and did not answer [the] questions.' However, he provided his driver’s license upon the agents’ request, which the agents took to their vehicle.
  
  Officer Sanchez then ended the call and asked Morales Cisneros to step out of the truck. Officer Sanchez handcuffed him and placed him in the Border Patrol vehicle."

• Wilder Munguia Esquivel: "At least 10 men—most of whom had 'masks covering their faces, with holes only for their eyes'—got out of the vehicles and 'aggressively swarmed' around the day laborers.
  
  The unidentified agents demanded the day laborers’ 'papers.' ... Munguia Esquivel 'stayed quiet.' In Spanish, the agent then ordered him to 'turn around' to be handcuffed."

• Yolanda Aguilera Martinez: "The agent said, 'I need to see your papers.' Aguilera Martinez handed him a 'valid, current, California driver’s license.' The agent looked at the license and said, 'This shit is fuckin’ fake.'
  
  The agent threw her license to her lap and ordered her to get out of the vehicle. She 'still did not know who these men were,' but complied because she 'felt [she] had no choice.'
  
  After she opened the door, the agent grabbed her arm, 'pushed [her] down to the ground,' and placed her in handcuffs."

• Juan Vargas Mendez & Maria Guadalupe Hernandez Espinoza: Both were stopped and expelled to Mexico after being coerced into signing voluntary departure forms, leaving families behind.

Legal and Constitutional Violations

The lawsuit alleges that these actions violated multiple legal standards:

• Fourth Amendment: The complaint asserts that "Border Patrol conducted stops and arrests without reasonable suspicion or probable cause," in violation of the constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

• Fifth Amendment: Plaintiffs claim that "individuals were coerced into accepting voluntary departure without a knowing and voluntary waiver of their rights," undermining due process.

• Statutory Violations: The operation failed to comply with 8 U.S.C. § 1357(a)(2), which requires individualized assessments of flight risk and proper documentation for warrantless arrests.

Community Impact and Public Response

The effects of "Operation Return to Sender" rippled through the Central Valley. The complaint describes how "the operation caused widespread fear, disrupted agricultural work, and led to families being separated."

Fields were left empty, children stayed home from school, and entire neighborhoods were gripped by anxiety.

Community leaders, legal experts, and advocacy organizations have condemned the operation.

Former CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus criticized mass roundups like this one, stating that they "waste law enforcement resources, create distrust in law enforcement, and discourage community members from reporting crimes."

Elected officials and advocacy groups have called for accountability, transparency, and a halt to such practices.

Conclusion: A Call to Conscience and Action

The stories and evidence emerging from United Farm Workers, et al. v. Noem, et al. reveal not isolated incidents, but a broader pattern of state-sponsored cruelty that undermines the very values of justice, equality, and human dignity.

These government atrocities—carried out in the name of immigration enforcement—have left deep scars on individuals, families, and entire communities.

We must demand that our government uphold the Constitution and treat every person—regardless of status—with respect and humanity.

The fight for immigrant rights is a fight for the soul of our democracy. Let us stand together to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated and that our nation lives up to its highest ideals.

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Take care of yourself and your loved ones, and remember to get into “good trouble.”
samuel