A Virginia woman has accused a federal immigration agent of pointing a firearm at her head and falsely stating she attempted to run over officers during an encounter earlier this week in Falls Church. Carolina Molina, 36, stated during a press conference hosted by immigrant advocacy groups that she was driving and networking when she observed unmarked vehicles and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehending individuals.
Molina reported passing one ICE agent and uttering an insult. She asserted her right to freedom of speech as an American citizen. According to Molina, an ICE agent then obstructed her vehicle, exited his car, and pointed a gun at her while questioning her presence.
She stated her intention was to leave and distribute business cards. Molina recounted that the situation escalated when she began recording the interaction on her cell phone. "That is when it feels like the situation changed," Molina said. "It feels like then he started planting the seed of, 'You are trying to run us over. She was trying to run us over,' etc., etc. And that is not the case." Molina described being "shocked" when the agent drew his weapon on her.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement asserting that Molina "began to drive her car in circles around our ICE officers and then attempted to harm officers by weaponizing her vehicle against them—all in an attempt to help illegal aliens get away." The statement continued, "Fearing for their safety, ICE officers conducted a vehicle stop of the driver. Necessary background information of the driver was taken and she could face criminal prosecution as a result of her actions."