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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents temporarily detained a 71-year-old U.S. citizen in California, leaving her "traumatized."
Barbara Stone on Wednesday was removed from a San Diego courthouse, which she attended to observe proceedings and the behavior of federal agents. An agent at the scene said she had pushed her.
Newsweek contacted ICE representatives and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.
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Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has made immigration a priority, vowing to carry out mass deportations and arrest people in the country illegally.
ICE has run numerous operations to arrest migrants. There have been protests against Trump's immigration policy, the most high-profile of which took place in Los Angeles in June when a series of immigration raids sparked a large protest and some incidents of violence and looting.
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What To Know
A video shows an unknown officer claiming that Stone pushed her, something Stone denies. It then shows Stone being handcuffed and led away by officers.
Her family told NBC News that she was held by federal agents for eight hours and that her phone and purse were confiscated. Stone told KPBS that when she was released, officers only returned her phone.
No charges have been filed.
What People Are Saying
Barbara Stone told NBC: "I was surprised it felt like an out-of-body experience. I feel mentally and physically traumatized."
Barbara Stone told KPBS: "I asked him [the ICE agent] why he needed my phone, and he compared it to a drug bust where they keep a drug dealer's phone because I had used it in the crime. They referred to me as the suspect."
Gershon Shafir, Stone's husband told NBC: "She is a soft-spoken person who was here to protect innocent refugees, and she is the last person in the universe who would hit an agent or interfere with their work."
Stone's lawyer, Emily Howe, in a statement to KPBS: "We believe Barbara was lawfully present. As a well-respected community member, she serves as a legal observer and neutral volunteer who monitors and documents public interactions with government actors; she observes and records incidents involving arbitrary arrests, use of force, and actions that impinge on our constitutional rights and the basic rule of law."
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told KGTV: "[Stone] assaulted an ICE officer as they were conducting immigration enforcement.
"Anyone who assaults or actively obstructs law enforcement in the performance of their sworn duties will face consequences which could include arrest. Our officers are facing a 700 percent increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists and gang members."
What Happens Next
Stone said she would volunteer again, despite her experience.
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