PHILADELPHIA - An Allentown man says an early morning visit from U.S. immigration agents looking for his son included guns and excessive force.
Julio Cesar Abreu Lora and his family filed a lawsuit June 13 in federal court against the United States of America, alleging negligence and violation of their constitutional rights.
The plaintiffs claim that on January 8, 2020, officers from the U.S. Marshals Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Allentown Police Department forcefully entered their home without presenting a valid warrant.
It was 6 a.m. when Lora opened his door to officers with guns pointed at him. They were seeking his brother, who didn't live with him, the suit says.
When Lora asked them to leave because they didn't have a warrant, he says he was grabbed by his legs, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He injured hi shoulders, wrist and knees when he landed on a hard object, he says.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for the physical and psychological harm endured by the family. Alan Denenberg of Abramson and Denenberg represent the plaintiffs.