Father-in-law calls ICE and ends up turning in his daughter’s boyfriend

Posted on 04/01/26 at 17:53

What began as an act of support ended in tragedy. Francesca Ferrer (29), eight months pregnant, welcomed her father into her home without imagining the conflict would lead to her partner’s detention by ICE.

On March 14, according to her testimony to N+ Univision, during an argument, her partner, César Herrera Ferrer, 24, asked his father-in-law to leave the home. However, hours later, the man returned, forced entry, and, according to the account, threatened his son-in-law with a weapon while he was holding his nearly two-year-old daughter.

“He grabbed him by the neck in front of my daughter,” she said.

Released… and then reported to ICE in family dispute

Although Castañeda was arrested, he was released three days later. The family claims that after being released, he used his son-in-law’s immigration status to report him to ICE.

The detention took place in a pharmacy parking lot, where Herrera went after being called under the pretext of picking up some belongings. At the scene, federal agents intercepted his vehicle and proceeded to arrest him.

“My father was there, recording with his phone and laughing while everything was happening. He turned him in as if he were a bounty hunter,” she said.

“My father was recording and laughing,” Ferrer stated.

Video that shocks on social media

The ICE arrest was recorded, becoming central to the family dispute case. In the footage, Herrera begs for the recording to continue while he is restrained.

The video has circulated widely on social media. The family claims that the report was a form of intimidation to prevent Herrera from testifying in the criminal case against his father-in-law.

Detained and afraid

Currently, Herrera remains in a migrant detention center in Tacoma. According to his partner, he fears for his safety after being placed with high-risk inmates.

Ferrer, pregnant and with a young child, has relocated for safety and is desperately seeking legal help while fearing that her partner may be deported.

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