It never crossed former San Jose resident Yesenia Campos’ mind she would be detained by federal immigration agents for recording activity from a distance.
On Oct. 30, 2025, Campos was notified of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity at the South San Jose field office, where immigrants periodically check-in for compliance. She immediately drove to the office to act as an observer, with her 2-year-old daughter in tow. The ensuing encounter Campos had with an agent as she recorded video on her phone triggered her past trauma as a sexual assault survivor, according to her lawsuit filed Monday in San Jose at the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California.
“I was scared,” Campos, 36, told San José Spotlight. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, they are really about to take me’ because they had me in handcuffs.”…