A Virginia man who is still a US citizen but was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, says he is rethinking his support for Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential campaign, which won the 2024 victory.
Jensy Machado, a naturalized US citizen, said he was in the car when he was stopped by an ice agent on his way to work in Manassas, Virginia.
“They just get out of the car with their guns in their hands and say, ‘Turn off the car, give them the keys, open the window.’ Machado, 38, told news outlets Telemundo44 and NBC 4 Washington.
Machado was driving to work with two other men when Ice suddenly stopped him near his house. A gun-wielding agent surrounded his truck.
“I was a Trump supporter,” he said Wednesday. “I voted for last year’s election because I thought… I was going to oppose criminals, not all Hispanic, Spanish-language appearances.”
According to Machado, the agent received an order to deport him and told him the name of the man who gave him the address of Machado’s home. He responded by telling the agent that the person’s name wasn’t him, and offered to show him his Virginia driver’s license.
However, he says that the agent did not ask him to see his ID. Instead, they ordered him to leave his car, and they handcuffed him. The agent then asked Machado how he entered the country.
“And I told him I am an American citizen,” Machado said. “He looks at the other partner and you know, “Can you believe this guy?”
Two Machado men were taken into custody, but he doesn’t know why. He was eventually released after being able to show his driver’s license.
Machado described himself as a presidential supporter, but he said his faith in the Trump administration had diminished after being detained.
“They’re going to assume that we are all illegal,” he said. “They’re just chasing Hispanic people.”
