A Chelsea family is seeking damages through the federal courts following an encounter with immigration officers that they say caused lasting physical and emotional injuries.

Hilda Ramirez Sanan, a lawful permanent resident who has lived legally in the United States for more than 20 years, filed a lawsuit against the federal government on October 27, 2026. The case concerns a September 26, 2025, encounter with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers near Chelsea District Court.

Her daughter Michelle Ramirez Sanan and younger son, identified in court documents as J.R.S., are also plaintiffs. Both children are U.S. citizens. The family alleges excessive force and unlawful detention. ICE disputes their description of the incident.

What the Family Alleges

According to the complaint announced by Lawyers for Civil Rights, Ramirez Sanan was accompanying a relative to a court appearance when several unmarked vehicles blocked her car about two blocks from the courthouse.

The lawsuit alleges that eight armed, masked officers surrounded the vehicle, broke its windows, and forcibly removed her. Officers allegedly restrained Ramirez Sanan, pushed her against a fence and forced her face-first onto the sidewalk. She says she briefly lost consciousness.

Her son, who was 13 at the time and has autism, was inside the vehicle. The complaint alleges that officers removed him, questioned his immigration status and threatened him with arrest. The family's attorneys say a disability placard was visible.

Michelle, then 17, arrived during the encounter. According to the complaint, an officer restrained her when she tried to approach her mother and brother.

The family says officers did not initially check Ramirez Sanan's lawful immigration status. Chelsea police subsequently intervened and requested an identification check, according to the complaint. The family was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

ICE Gives a Different Account

In a statement reported by GBH News, ICE said officers were conducting a targeted operation involving another individual in the car. The agency alleged that occupants tried to conceal that person and maintained that the force used was proportionate to the circumstances.

Lawyers for Civil Rights rejected the agency's explanation and said photographs and video evidence support the family's account. The recordings may be examined during litigation, but the allegations have not been established by a court ruling.

What the Lawsuit Seeks

The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The family seeks damages under the Federal Tort Claims Act, alleging assault, unlawful detention, emotional harm, property damage and failures in supervision.

Before filing suit, the family submitted an administrative claim to federal authorities in December 2025 seeking $1 million. The administrative process is generally required before certain federal damages lawsuits can proceed. The family's attorneys say that claim was not resolved within the required waiting period.

The earlier $1 million demand is not a court award, and no finding of federal liability has been made. Ramirez Sanan told GBH that injuries affected her ability to work and that her children continue to experience emotional difficulties.

Why It Matters to Chelsea

The incident near a courthouse used by Chelsea residents raises questions about immigration enforcement in public spaces and the treatment of lawful residents, U.S. citizens, children and people with disabilities.

The court process will address whether officers acted within their authority, whether their force was justified and whether the family is entitled to compensation. For now, the government and family maintain competing accounts of an encounter that remains the subject of federal litigation.