Who is Carolina Molina? Five things about Virginia woman’s fiery ICE agent confrontation – watch video
Carolina Molina became the focus of a tense confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Falls Church, Virginia, after she shouted at officers from her car during an immigration operation. Video from the encounter shows an ICE agent drawing his gun while accusing Molina of nearly running over federal officers.
Molina has disputed that account, saying she never put the agents in danger and that the confrontation was unnecessary.
Here are five things known about the Virginia woman’s ICE agent confrontation, from the account she gave to NBC4 Washington and the video of the incident.
1. Who is Carolina Molina?
Molina is the Virginia woman at the center of the confrontation captured on dashcam and cellphone video.
According to NBC4 Washington, Molina said she was in a Falls Church parking lot after witnessing ICE agents arrest two men. She said she was there distributing business cards for immigration lawyers who could provide counseling services.
As she drove past the agents, Molina acknowledged shouting insults at them from her car.
2. Why did Molina confront ICE agents?
Molina told NBC4 that she was angry about the arrests she had witnessed.
Videoshows her shouting at the ICE agents as she drove past them. She later denied that she was following the officers or attempting to interfere with their operation.
The confrontation escalated after two ICE vehicles approached her car, with one stopping in front and another behind her vehicle.
A masked agent then approached Molina’s driver’s-side window and asked whether she was following the officers.
3. What happened when the agent pulled his gun?
The encounter became tense after the agent accused Molina of nearly running over ICE officers.
“You almost ran us over,” the agent said, according to the video, while holding a gun.
Molina denied the allegation and said she had dashcam footage that would show what had happened. The agent warned that she could be arrested.
At one point, Molina said she was a legal US citizen. The agent responded, “I don’t care,” according to the footage.
NBC4 reported that the portion of the confrontation shown in the video lasted about 50 seconds.
4. What does Molina say about the confrontation?
Molina has rejected the allegation that she endangered the officers.
She told NBC4 that she was not following the ICE agents and did not try to run them over. She also said she was frightened by the encounter.
“Honestly, I’m scared,” Molina said, describing the confrontation as uncalled for.
Molina also argued that her decision to criticize the agents was protected by her First Amendment rights.
5. What does DHS say happened?
The Department of Homeland Security has offered a different account.
A DHS spokesperson said ICE was conducting targeted immigration enforcement in Falls Church when Molina began driving her car in circles around officers and attempted to use the vehicle against them.
The agency said officers feared for their safety and stopped Molina’s vehicle. DHS said information was taken from her and that she could face criminal prosecution.
The department also said the operation involved people it described as criminal immigrants, including individuals accused of hit-and-run and drug trafficking, as well as people with final orders of removal.
