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Outrage Sparks Over Video of Single Mom Arrested in Front of Daughters

March 10, 2018

  • The video of a woman being torn away from her family by Border Patrol agents has sparked outrage online. Perla Morales-Luna was dragged into a car by the Border Patrol near San Diego, CA, while her three daughters watched and screamed. The video was posted to Facebook by Judith Castro-Rangel, the teacher of one of Morales-Luna’s daughters. It’s been viewed 9 million times. She wrote: “It breaks my heart to know that this is the mother of one of my students. The brutalized injustice that is happening in this country is sad. My people, this battle continues and we should not give up.” But U.S. Customs and Border Patrol says they had good cause to detain her. They tweeted: “Perla Morales-Luna was identified as an organizer for a transnational criminal smuggling organization operating in East County, San Diego.  She was arrested as a result of a targeted operation on March 3, 2018, in National City for being in the country illegally.” Now, however you feel about immigration, border security, or the drug war, it’s harrowing to see a mother torn away from her children, and plenty of commenters online feel that this is just not right. Ari Glosson wrote: “I dont speak spanish but this just broke my heart. Got me crying at work . They need to be focused on criminals not on innocent families that are here to make a honest living !!! This is just terrible.” And comedian Gabe Gonzalez tweeted: “What @CBPSanDiego did to Perla Morales-Luna is inhumane and unconscionable. What kind of heartless assholes treat another human being that way? In front of her three children, no less. Our government is funding violence and ripping families apart.” Activists in the community are speaking out as well. City Councilwoman Alejandra Sotelo-Solis told NBC San Diego that the agents handled the situation inappropriately. That’s right. Her three daughters were just left there on the street, baffled and afraid. Right now they’re staying with their great aunt, but Morales-Luna’s future is still in doubt. She was detained by CBP, but will soon be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (that’s ICE), for deportation proceedings. The arrest took place last Saturday, and no criminal charges have yet been filed. What do you guys think? Did CBP handle this the wrong way? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.