ACLU of Maine files lawsuit on behalf of man detained during enhanced ICE operationPORTLAND, Maine —The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maine has filed a lawsuit against federal agents on behalf of a man who was detained in Portland earlier this year during an enhanced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation.The ACLU claims that agents racially profiled, violently arrested and unlawfully detained Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz during "Operation Catch of the Day," violating his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights. Carvajal-Muñoz moved to Maine from Colombia on a student visa to earn his master's degree in civil engineering at the University of Maine, which he earned in May 2023, according to the ACLU. The ACLU also said Carvajal-Muñoz is legally in the United States with a valid H-1B work visa, which lasts through 2027, and he has been working at the same engineering firm for two and a half years.The lawsuit states that on Jan. 22, Carvajal-Muñoz was driving to work in Portland when an unmarked SUV abruptly cut in front of his vehicle. Federal agents, some of whom were masked, then surrounded Carvajal-Muñoz's vehicle and demanded he show his paperwork. Carvajal-Muñoz showed his REAL ID through the window and reached for his phone to call for help and record the interaction.According to the lawsuit, the agents smashed Carvajal-Muñoz's driver's side window with a crowbar, dragged him out of the vehicle at taser-point, handcuffed him and placed him in the unmarked SUV. The agents left Carvajal-Muñoz's vehicle running in the middle of the street with the door open, his keys and bag in the open vehicle and his phone on the street.Carvajal-Muñoz said he feared for his life and that over the next 16 hours, he was physically and psychologically harmed by agents. He claims he was placed in shackles and moved between various unmarked vehicles and locations in Maine and Massachusetts alongside other detainees, all of whom were people of color."All people should be free to move about their communities safely, knowing they will not be violently arrested by masked agents simply for driving while Latino," Carvajal-Muñoz said in a statement shared by the ACLU. "I came to Maine to study engineering and work hard. Even though I followed all the rules, federal agents targeted me based on my race. 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."The ACLU claims that when the agents stopped Carvajal-Muñoz, the only information they had about him was his appearance and the fact that the vehicle was registered in his name. According to the ACLU, the agents refused to examine additional documents in Carvajal-Muñoz's possession that prove his legal status."The Constitution applies to everyone, and simply being a federal agent is not a license to operate outside the law," Carol Garvan, legal director for the ACLU of Maine, said in a statement. "The Maine Civil Rights Act protects all people's constitutional rights from government officials' abuses of power — whether they are local, state, or federal officials. We hope this case will strengthen paths for people to seek justice when federal officials violate their constitutional rights."The lawsuit was filed against five federal agents, only one of whom was named. Jack Cory Ravencamp, who was employed by ICE or contracted to perform services for the agency, was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, along with three John Does and one Jane Doe. The unnamed male agents and unnamed female agent were employed by or contracted to perform services for the Department of Homeland Security and acting under the color of federal law during Carvajal-Muñoz's arrest, according to the lawsuit.In addition to the ACLU of Maine, the lawsuit was brought on behalf of Carvajal-Muñoz by the ACLU of the District of Columbia, the national ACLU's State Supreme Court Initiative, the Maine-based law firm Gideon Asen and the Law Firm of James Wagner.The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland.