PORTLAND, Maine — The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against federal immigration agents after the alleged detention and arrest of Portland resident Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz, who claims he was racially profiled and violently detained during “Operation Catch of the Day,” an ICE operation.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, alleges violations of Carvajal-Muñoz’s Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights and seeks to determine whether the federal officials can be held accountable under state law.
The incident occurred Jan. 22, 2026, when Carvajal-Muñoz was stopped while driving to work. An unmarked SUV blocked his vehicle, and agents demanded that he present identification and paperwork. Some of the agents were masked. Carvajal-Muñoz presented his REAL ID, which is issued to noncitizens who have lawful status.
Carvajal-Muñoz attempted to record the interaction when agents allegedly broke his car window with a crowbar and detained him, despite his full cooperation. He was dragged out of his car at Taser-point, handcuffed and placed in the unmarked SUV. The agents left his car running in the middle of the street, with his keys and bag inside the open vehicle and his phone in the street.
Carvajal-Muñoz said he feared for his life, especially in light of what happened to Renée Good in Minnesota just two weeks earlier. He stated, “Federal agents came to Maine and terrorized entire communities, just as they have done throughout the country.”
The lawsuit alleges Carvajal-Muñoz was targeted solely because of his race, with no legal basis for the stop or arrest, violating both his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights. He said, “Even though I followed all the rules, federal agents targeted me based on race.” Agents also allegedly refused to consider additional documents he presented proving his legal status.
The complaint states that over the next 16 hours, agents psychologically and physically harmed Carvajal-Muñoz as he was placed in shackles and moved between vehicles throughout Maine and Massachusetts with other detainees, all of whom were people of color. The agents allegedly engaged in what the lawsuit described as a cruel “joke,” pretending to return Carvajal-Muñoz to Portland while instead taking him to an ICE facility in Burlington, Massachusetts.
The ACLU argued that the agents lacked reasonable suspicion and violated constitutional protections guaranteeing due process and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. The lawsuit also invokes the Maine Civil Rights Act, which allows individuals to seek damages for violations of constitutional rights, including claims involving federal officials.
Although federal law typically requires claims against federal agents to be brought against the government itself, the Westfall Act preserves specific exceptions for constitutional claims against individual officers.
The case could have broader implications. The 1971 decision in Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents recognized limited pathways to sue federal officials, but those avenues have narrowed in recent years. The Carvajal-Muñoz case may test whether state laws can provide an alternative route for officer accountability.
Carol Garvan, legal director for the ACLU of Maine, stated, “The Constitution applies to everyone, and simply being a federal agent is not a license to operate outside the law.” Additional ACLU attorneys involved in the case said that without enforcement, constitutional rights have no meaning.
The case, Carvajal-Muñoz v. Ravencamp, seeks to hold federal agents accountable and may reaffirm legal protections for individuals facing misconduct by federal authorities. Carvajal-Muñoz stated, “I hope this case can prevent agents from violating other people’s constitutional rights so the United States can fulfill its promise of being a beacon of freedom, opportunity, and safety for all people.”
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