A TikToker who’s been outspoken about increasing raids by Immigration Customs and Enforcement was arrested by federal ICE agents while conducting a livestream, according to reports.
Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, a Colombian immigrant living in Los Angeles, was streaming on TikTok from a Tesla when federal agents approached and detained her, per Newsweek.
A video circulating on social media shows the incident from a bystander’s perspective. In the clip, agents wearing police vests and hoods grab a woman from a car and tackle her to the ground as she screams.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrest with a gleeful X post on Monday.
“Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez is a CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN from Colombia who was convicted for driving under the influence in Los Angeles,” the agency tweeted. “Martinez entered the country in 2022 and was RELEASED by the Biden administration.”
According to Newsweek, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Mafla-Martinez’s arrest was briefly interrupted when "an individual unlawfully towed a government police vehicle."
"He mocked and videotaped ICE officers chasing after him,” McLaughlin said. “Secretary [Kristi] Noem has been clear: Anyone who seeks to impede law enforcement will be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
President Donald Trump’s orders to increase ICE arrests to fulfill his promises of mass deportations have led to heightened concern from immigration advocates about the federal agency’s methods and inhumane treatment of people in detention centers.
Mafla-Martinez posts under the TikTok handle @tatianamartinez_02, where by Tuesday she had over 43,000 followers. She shares videos with information about immigrant rights and ongoing ICE operations. Following her arrest, concerned comments poured in on her videos.
“FREE HER,” one person wrote. “I don’t know you, but no one deserves this.”
The influencer reportedly received medical treatment before she was taken to a detention center in Los Angeles.