***Witness Testimony***ICYMI: Blumenthal & Robert Garcia Receive Testimony from Children Brutalized by DHS Agents

[WASHINGTON, DC] - In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, held a bicameral public forum this week to receive testimony on how violent tactics, a disregard for laws and constitutional rights, and new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policies have harmed children in America.

The following young Americans offered testimony about their personal experiences being assaulted or separated from their families by DHS agents:

Arnoldo Bazan: Arnoldo is a 16-year-old U.S. citizen from Houston, Texas. Arnoldo was assaulted by federal immigration agents on his way to school; he sought treatment at a nearby hospital for neck injuries described by the hospital as resulting from being beaten and choked. He still experiences physical and mental side effects.

"Officers grabbed and ripped my shirt. One officer put me in a chokehold. The officer choking me told me, 'You're done. You're done.' His grip was so tight that I wondered if I would make it out alive. With all of my strength, I screamed that I was underage and from the United States...All of this affects me to this day. When I go to school, I pray I come home safely. Whenever I hear sirens or I see an officer, my heart starts racing. I don't even know when I will see my father again. I'm sharing this story so it doesn't happen to other people. This is not the America that I know," Arnoldo said.

Arnoldo's written testimony is available here. A video of Arnoldo's testimony is available here.

Fernando Hernández García: Fernando is an 18-year-old U.S. citizen from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. He has been living on his own and separated from his family since his younger sister, Sara, who is also a U.S. citizen, was removed to Mexico after being detained while on her way to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston to seek treatment for a novel medical condition; she had surgery to remove a brain tumor in 2024.

"I remember this day like it was yesterday because it was the last day I remember feeling like a kid. When I heard the news, I couldn't breathe. I didn't know what I was going to do. My mom worried about me returning to our home in South Texas alone, but I had to finish high school, and I wanted to make sure I could do everything in my power to stay on top of the bills and keep the home my mom and dad had sacrificed so much for. Over the past year, I've worked hard to make sure I was the first in my family to graduate from a U.S. high school. My parents were not there to celebrate this honor with me," Fernando said.

Fernando's written testimony is available here. A video of Fernado's testimony is available here.

Ana Michelle Ramirez Sanan: Michelle is an 18-year-old U.S. citizen from Chelsea, Massachusetts. Michelle was restrained by a DHS agent after her mother and autistic 13-year-old brother, also a U.S. citizen, were dragged from their car and detained. DHS agents then violently arrested Michelle's 50-year-old mother, who has legal status and has lived in the U.S. for over twenty years, in front of her and her brother.

"I am speaking out today for the families who can't speak against ICE. I am speaking out today to help people understand who ICE is hurting. I am a citizen. I'm also a sister, a high school student, and a daughter. I like drawing, dancing, and spending time with my family. Kids and teenagers who look like me aren't safe, even in our own communities, even if we follow all the rules. ICE may have let my family go, but they took so much more from us. They made me feel like my family didn't matter and that no one would care what happens to us," Michelle said.

Michelle's written testimony is available here. A video of Michelle's testimony is available here.

The following mothers offered testimony about how DHS agents assaulted them and their children:

Anabel Romero: Ms. Romero is a U.S. citizen from Gooding, Idaho and mother of three. During an immigration raid, Ms. Romero was separated from her 6- and 8-year-old children at gunpoint; she and her 14-year-old daughter were then assaulted and zip-tied. Ms. Romero's teenage daughter did not testify but joined her at the forum.

"That day completely changed our lives. We were degraded. Our rights were violated. Our sense of safety and security was demolished. My kids, and I can't trust enforcement anymore. All that violence was preplanned and targeted on a Sunday afternoon family [outing]. And not a word of apology or regret after. We deserve better from our government. We demand better from our government," Ms. Romero said.

Ms. Romero's written testimony is available here. A video of her testimony is available here.

Andreina Mejia: Ms. Mejia is a U.S. citizen from Arleta, California. She and her special needs 15-year-old son were separated, held gunpoint and then handcuffed by DHS agents outside of a local high school.

"I'm just thankful that I was there to protect them, because I just think about that day, and I just think if I wasn't there to protect them and my son would have gotten scared, what if they had just, you know, they would have shot him or something. So, it's been kind of difficult for him to go to school. He would wake up crying. He sees cars with tinted windows, and he's scared. He tells me, 'Mom, is it them?' and I'm like, 'No, it's just a regular car,'" Ms. Mejia said.

Ms. Mejia's written testimony is available here. A video of her testimony is available here.

The following school administrator offered testimony about the impact of current DHS policies on schools and schoolchildren:

Zena Stenvik: Ms. Stenvik is the Superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, a school district just north of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were one of several families in the school district terrorized by DHS agents during the "surge" in Minnesota.

"While children are resilient and I'm cautious to not generalize trauma, the patterns we are seeing are consistent and significant. We are seeing increased separation anxiety, with students struggling to be apart from their parents during the school day after months and months of confinement and fear. We're seeing heightened difficulty with transitions. One student who is detained in Texas now experiences distress when leaving the classroom to go to art or gym class. He reported that separation from their trusted teacher and classroom removes the sense of safety. We're also seeing increased stress responses such as fight-flight-freeze among students who experienced direct or indirect trauma. Students are more fearful of strangers and unfamiliar vehicles, particularly SUVs or individuals in uniform, which they often associate with ICE agents. Even distant sirens can trigger anxiety," Ms. Stenvik said.

Ms. Stenvik's written testimony is available here. A video of her testimony is available here.

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1. Immigration