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ICE Arrested US Citizen at Home and Posted Video to Social Media
Christian Cerna attended a neighborhood protest against ICE raids in June 2025 and was accused of punching a border patrol agent. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault but denies striking the officer. ICE officers arrested him days later in front of his family while filming the encounter, which was later shared online.
May 15, 4:50 PM·1m read1 source
The GuardianAudio version
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Christian Cerna attended a protest in his neighborhood against ICE raids in June 2025. Authorities said he punched a border patrol agent during the event. Cerna later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault but denies that he ever hit the officer. Days after the protest, ICE officers arrested Cerna in front of his family.
The officers filmed the arrest and later posted the video to social media. Cerna described the experience as taking a heavy toll on him. The Guardian reported on the incident in a podcast episode. Cerna spoke with Carter Sherman about the effects of the arrest and its documentation.
The sequence began with the neighborhood protest against ICE raids. Cerna faced allegations of assaulting a federal agent at the gathering. He entered a guilty plea to the misdemeanor charge while maintaining he did not strike the officer. ICE conducted the arrest at Cerna's home several days after the protest.
Officers recorded the operation as it took place in the presence of his family. The agency subsequently shared the footage on social media platforms.
The Guardian's Stateside with Kai and Carter episode examined how the agency turned the arrest into online content. Cerna told the program the incident had a significant personal impact. Levin provided additional details from the news organization's reporting on the case.
