BY: DM
Published 23 seconds ago
ICE agents took a Brazilian woman into custody, and the entire encounter was caught on video. Alice Correia Barbosa was driving with the music low and her phone in the cup holder when three plainclothes agents approached her car, unbuckled her seat belt, and pulled her out. Videos posted online show agents using force to remove her, shoving her into an unmarked SUV, and referring to her by a male name while others placed her in handcuffs. The footage sparked outrage among LGBTQIA+ communities, Brazilian officials, and immigrant-rights advocates.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed it will move forward with deportation proceedings. Officials told the Washington Blade that Correia stayed in the United States nearly six years beyond the six months allowed on her B-2 tourist visa. The department also said she has prior arrests for drug possession. The department’s statement also repeatedly used her birth name and male pronouns. This fueled anger and showed a pattern of misgendering transgender people in custody.
Here is a look at how Barbosa was detained and what advocates are saying about her arrest.
Why Did ICE Detain Alice Correia Barbosa?
Correia was stopped on Aug. 23 in Silver Spring, Md., just outside D.C., around 1 p.m., when, according to bystander video, agents told Correia she’d violated immigration rules before removing her from the car. ICE and DHS statements pointed to the visa overstay and past arrests as the legal basis for the detention. Critics argue that agents executed the arrest in plainclothes, on video, and with visible force.
Them reported that ICE moved Correia into federal custody at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia. Brazilian outlets and local reporters said officials placed her in the male wing, a decision that drew immediate condemnation because trans women face documented risks in men’s units.
Advocates Are Fighting for Correia’s Freedom
Correia’s arrest lit up social media, with folks demanding her release. Erika Hilton, a Brazilian congresswoman and a prominent trans rights voice, publicly demanded that Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervene. “I have just contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking them to intercede to guarantee the rights and physical integrity of Alice Correia Barbosa,” Hilton tweeted. “The arrest also goes against the US Constitution itself, which, in its Articles V and XIV, states that every person in the United States, regardless of whether they are a citizen or not, has the right to due process and equal legal protection.”
Netziens are also sounding off in support of Correia. A supporter tweeted, “Alice was abducted, and we have no idea where they are currently. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. Free Alice Correia Barbosa!”
ICE and DHS framed the case as a routine immigration enforcement action grounded in immigration status and past arrests. Their public statements, however, do not address the concerns activists raised about the force used during the stop and the apparent misgendering of a trans detainee. Correia’s fate will now depend on legal proceedings, advocacy, and whether public pressure changes how authorities handle her case. For now she remains in custody, and her supporters are trying to keep pressure on immigration officials.
How should U.S. authorities handle transgender detainees to ensure safety? Comment below!
