The sudden detention of Carmen Herrera, a longtime San Antonio resident, has drawn widespread attention after video of her being detained by federal immigration agents went viral on social media.
Herrera, a mother of six U.S. citizen children and married to a U.S. citizen, appeared at San Antonio’s Immigration Court earlier this year seeking relief in her case. Instead, she was met by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who detained her immediately after her hearing. She was later deported to her native Mexico.
Witnesses captured the moment on cell phones, and the footage spread rapidly online, sparking outrage from immigrant-rights advocates.
Supporters say Herrera had lived in the United States for years, held steady employment, and had no criminal record.
ICE officials defended the arrest, stating Herrera had a final order of removal and that the agency was acting within its authority. “Individuals subject to deportation orders are priorities for enforcement,” an ICE spokesperson said.
The viral video has reignited debate over courthouse arrests and the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which critics say targets families and longtime residents without due process.
Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines series recently released an episode titled “Crackdown,” which tells the story of Herrera and the impact her detainment and deportation has had on her family. It also examines the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, including court arrests and deportations conducted without full due process.
According to the documentary, Herrera had long lived in the U.S. and was pursuing legal relief but was unexpectedly handcuffed and shoved into an ICE van after being called into court.
Her attorneys say she had multiple paths to legal status; her arrest and removal came as families across the country report similar takedowns at courthouses.
More broadly, "Crackdown" frames Herrera’s case as part of a sweeping deportation campaign under Trump. The documentary underscores how the administration has used measures such as in-court ICE arrests, redefinition of enforcement zones, and transfers of migrants to foreign penal facilities.
One of the most controversial elements exposed is the mass deportation of migrants, including those with no U.S. criminal convictions, to El Salvador’s new Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison built for gang detainees.
The administration invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act in March 2025 to justify shipping about 238 Venezuelan migrants from Texas to CECOT, despite internal records showing many lacked criminal records. The U.S. Supreme Court later found that this was a misuse of the Alien Enemies Act and was unlawfully applied.
Supporters of the administration argue that the policy is aimed at removing dangerous gang actors and closing legal loopholes exploited by criminals. They assert that broad powers are necessary to prevent criminal networks from exploiting sympathetic rulings or delays in the immigration system.
Critics counter that the campaign overshoots its intent: thousands of nonviolent immigrants, asylum seekers, and individuals with no criminal records risk being lumped in, deprived of due process, and sent to foreign prisons. The Herrera case, alongside deportations to CECOT, has become a rallying point for legal challenges and human rights scrutiny of the administration’s immigration enforcement policy.
Guests:
Jeremy Young is the Senior Producer of Fault Lines, Al Jazeera.
Natasha Del Toro is an investigative reporter for Fault Lines, Al Jazeera.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.
This interview will be recorded live Thursday, September 25, 2025.
