A man in North Carolina, US, has been charged with multiple crimes after allegedly breaking into a motel near Raleigh while pretending to be a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, The Independent reported. He is accused of threatening a woman with deportation if she did not engage in sexual acts with him.
The accused, Carl Thomas Bennett, Jr, 37, was arrested on Sunday. According to the arrest warrant, he used a fake business card with a badge and “threatened to deport the victim if she did not have sex with him.”
Bennett faces nine charges, including breaking and entering, possession of cocaine, kidnapping, rape, and impersonating law enforcement. He appeared in court on Monday, where his request for release was denied. He is currently held at the Wake County Detention Center and has been ordered to appear in court again in February. Court records show he has prior charges from February and June 2024 for alleged trespassing offenses.
Concerns about exploitation
In the US, cases of individuals posing as immigration officers have been reported earlier too. Nikki Barin Baena, from the local immigrant advocacy group Siembra NC, said the allegations highlight concerns about exploitation in the current environment.
“This is kind of a perfect storm what’s happening right now and it’s opening up opportunities for people who are not doing any kind of law enforcement to take advantage of people in terrible ways,” Baena was quoted as saying by WRAL News.
She added, “People wouldn’t be surprised that an ICE agent acted in an inappropriate way because they often do act in inappropriate ways to get information out of people.”
This incident follows another case last week in the US state of Missouri, where a man was charged with burglary, harassment, assault, and impersonating law enforcement. He allegedly broke into a home, demanded to see immigration documents, and threatened to use a gun.
Broader fears over immigration policies
According to The Independent, communities across the US have reported increasing fear and anxiety as immigration officials carry out mass deportations under the Trump administration.
Concerns have also been raised about ICE itself. A 2023 PBS investigation found that hundreds of immigrants have reported sexual abuse in ICE detention facilities, with most cases not being investigated. Civil rights groups have also criticized ICE for allegedly impersonating police officers during immigration raids, arguing that it creates confusion and fear among migrants.
