A chaotic scene broke out Monday morning on Detroit’s west side as federal agents attempted to arrest an individual.
The incident occurred on Alaska Street near Joy Road and Livernois, drawing a large crowd that included protesters. One person attempted to flee the area in a vehicle before abandoning it and running on foot.
ICE confirmed details of the operation in a statement:
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents with assistance from partners at U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI, DEA, ATF and U.S. Marshals apprehended Marcos Fabian Arita Bautista in the area of Joy Road and Livernois in Detroit this morning. Arita is an illegal alien from Honduras who has been removed from the United States on two separate occasions.”
“Arita fled from ICE officers earlier this morning. Officers observed him enter a residence and received an urgent search warrant signed by a judge to search that residence for Arita. Arita was then taken into ICE custody.”
“Arita has been removed from this country twice and fled from law enforcement officers to try and escape a situation of his own making,’ said ICE ERO Detroit acting Field Office Director Kevin Raycraft. ‘If you have a final order of removal and there is no legal pathway for you to remain in the United States, ICE must lawfully carry out that removal.’
“Arita illegally entered the United States near Falfurrias, Texas in September 2015. He was apprehended by Border Patrol, served with an expedited removal order and deported to Honduras. He entered illegally again in February 2018 near Hidalgo, Texas. Border Patrol apprehended him again, reinstated his final order of removal and deported him to Honduras.”
“Arita pled guilty in 2022 to driving an unregistered vehicle, operating without required financial responsibility and assign improper title in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.”
“In June 2025, ICE received information that Arita was residing in the Detroit area.”
“It is a crime to obstruct or otherwise interfere with an ICE arrest and anyone involved may be subject to prosecution under federal law. In addition, encouraging others to interfere or attempt to obstruct an arrest is extremely reckless and places all parties in jeopardy.”
Activist group Detroit Will Breathe posted the following statement on social media:
“On Detroit’s westside, armed and masked ICE agents, with assistance from DPD, ATF, and DEA conducted raids on Detroit families while also threatening local activists who showed up on the scene to monitor and protest the kidnapping. It appears they arrested someone from the community trying to give support to the person being detained. Other protesters were pepper sprayed.”
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison issued the following statement:
“A federal agency requested the Detroit Police presence to keep the peace as they were executing a federal search warrant for a wanted individual. Officers were standing by when a subject interfered with the federal investigation by attempting to block authorities with his vehicle. Officers approached that subject who then ran from their vehicle. Officers pursued the subject and took them into custody. Another subject was arrested for Malicious Destruction of Property of a separate federal vehicle. An officer also deployed pepper spray after protestors entered the street and approached a scout car that was attempting to drive away. The Detroit Police Department does not engage in immigration enforcement. Our mission is public safety for both law enforcement and the public. We support peaceful protesting but will not tolerate any action that puts officers or anyone else in danger.”
