SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The day after witnesses recorded cellphone videos of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents surrounding a man wearing a suit and tie in San Francisco, ICE officials explained why their agents arrested the man.
The videos, which sparked an anti-ICE rally at City Hall Tuesday morning, show agents wearing face coverings as they question and detain the man in the South of Market neighborhood Monday.
ICE officials identified the arrested immigrant as Milton Ramos-Rodriguez, 51, of El Salvador.
Ramos-Rodriguez had been previously deported from the U.S., he was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in California, and allegedly had affiliations with a Sureño gang, according to ICE.
ICE agents are seen arresting a man wearing a suit in San Francisco on Oct. 19, 2026.
One witness who watched the SoMa incident from his apartment window said he saw plainclothes agents with their guns drawn, and heard the man repeatedly ask, "Who are you?" The man claimed he was a U.S. citizen.
San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey said, "I am outraged by the video showing an armed federal agent confronting a man who repeatedly identified himself as a U.S. citizen. ICE has no place terrorizing our communities, and the tactics we witnessed this morning are unacceptable."
ICE wrote in a statement to KRON4, "Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S."
(AP Photo /Erin Hooley, File)
U.S. Senator Adam Schiff said there's been an increase in ICE activity across California just weeks before midterm elections. Schiff said, "The cruelty is the policy. So much of what is done is unnecessary."
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations San Francisco field office director Julio Hernandez told KRON4 that his agency is committed to protecting public safety "by locating and arresting criminal aliens who pose threats to our communities."
Hernandez continued, "This enforcement action reflects the dedicated work of our officers and law enforcement partners to uphold the law and prioritize the safety and security of the public."
