Former Marine Outraged over Father’s Encounter with Federal Agents
A man formerly serving in the Marines, voiced his frustration towards the U.S., upon catching sight of a distressing video posted on social media, showcasing his father being attacked and continually assaulted by a federal immigration representative, based in Santa Ana. This occurrence took place on a Saturday. The revelation highlighted in the video clip brought together numerous demonstrators, vehemently demanding that the agents depart from Santa Ana. In addition to these protests, a digital funding campaign was initiated with aims to amass money for legal costs to assist the man.
The targeted individual is Narciso Barranco, a landscaper, aged 48, who was unexpectedly apprehended on the street. Narciso has three sons taking up the mantel of Marines in the U.S., two of whom are currently in their active phases. His eldest son, Alejandro Barranco, aged 25, avowed this in a conversation on Sunday. His brothers serve their time at Camp Pendleton, as revealed by Alejandro.
Feeling a sense of betrayal, Alejandro stated, ‘I see a man who is blameless, who has committed no crime, who was diligent in his work and never meant harm to anyone. The way he was aggressively approached and assaulted by the federal agents, it’s alarming. It’s not fair.’ The conduct of the agents had forced him to question his loyalty.
Alejandro also mentioned that his father was working on applying for a type of immigration known as ‘parole-in-place’. This would allow family members of active-duty military individuals who are without legal permission in the U.S., to remain in the country for a period, generally one year, with possibilities for extensions.
Despite his undocumented status, Narciso has been a resident of Orange County since the 1990s and is the owner of a landscaping enterprise. He leads a clean life, free from any criminal activities. This has been verified by an independent examination of the local court operating systems.
On Sunday, Narciso found himself held captive in a detention unit located in Los Angeles, his son reported. This led to the U.S. Representative Lou Correa, from Santa Ana, expressing his disbelief and calling out the current immigration policies as flawed. He labeled the situation as ‘pure madness’.
Correa particularly stressed on the situation of a family of three being ready to put their lives on the line for their country while their parents are at risk of being expelled. He revealed that he was in constant communication with the Barranco family following Narciso’s detainment.
Saturday, June 21, Narciso Barranco was performing his landscaping duties at a local IHOP, when he was unexpectedly approached by several unidentified armed men in civilian attire. This occurred around Edinger Avenue and Ritchey Street. The social media footage showed Barranco running while carrying a weed whacker as he was chased by federal agents.
The documentation further revealed Barranco being held down and punched repeatedly in his face by at least one agent, followed by a blast of pepper spray at close range. Alejandro confirmed these accusations but also suspected that his father’s shoulder might have been injured in the scuffle, although the family was unsure of whether he was provided with any kind of medical attention post-detainment.
Alejandro stated his emotions vividly, ‘I’m in deep pain. My country means the world to me, just as my parents do. I dedicated four long years of my life in service of this country, to portray my patriotism. Learning about what happened to my father hurts me. It’s heartbreaking.’ He served in Afghanistan and felt that his father was targeted due to racial factors.
His father, Narciso, was born in the city of Morelia, Mexico, and relocated to Orange County in the 1990s, where he works as a landscaper. However, as the news and footage of the distressing incident began circulating online, approximately a hundred people flocked the streets in protest. The crowd, with both the American and Mexican flags in hand, demanded that the federal authorities cease their operations in Santa Ana.
Regarding the incident, a spokesperson from the Border Patrol confirmed that Narciso Barranco was detained by their officials. However, they refrained from commenting any further regarding the situation.
President Trump has often reiterated that his administration is centered towards enforcing immigration laws on criminals. However, numerous people apprehended by federal immigration agents have neither serious criminal convictions nor any criminal history at all.