Carvajal-Muñoz v. Ravencamp, et. al. – Holding Federal Officials Accountable

We’re suing federal immigration agents for abducting a Portland man and violating his civil rights during a surge of reckless federal operations in Maine.

Agents racially profiled, violently arrested, and unlawfully detained Mr. Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz during "Operation Catch of the Day," violating his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights. The lawsuit could re-establish a crucial legal avenue for people to hold federal officials accountable under state law for violating constitutional rights.

The Department of Homeland Security launched "Operation Catch of the Day" on Jan. 20, 2026. The federal government claimed the operation targeted “the worst of the worst criminal aliens who have terrorized communities,” but many of the individuals targeted had not committed any crimes or violated any immigration law, including our client, Juan Sebastián Carvajal-Muñoz.

Local reporting from the end of March and beginning of April 2026 showed that of the 192 people arrested during the operation, only 12 had criminal convictions. Many were arrested in violation of constitutional protections. As of early February 2026, nearly 50 people arrested had challenged their detentions as unlawful in federal court.

On Jan. 22, 2026, at around 8:45 a.m., Mr. Carvajal-Muñoz was driving in Portland on his way to work. Agents in an unmarked SUV with Minnesota plates, some of whom were masked, abruptly cut in front of Carvajal-Muñoz and demanded he show his immigration paperwork. He showed his REAL ID through the window and reached for his phone to call for help and record the interaction. (REAL IDs are only given to people who have lawful status.)

Even though Mr. Carvajal-Muñoz complied and posed no safety threat, agents smashed his window with a crowbar, dragged him out of the car at taser-point, handcuffed him, and placed him in the unmarked SUV. Agents left his car running in the middle of the street with the door open, his keys and bag in the open vehicle, and his phone on the street. Carvajal-Muñoz was afraid for his life, especially after seeing what had happened to Renée Good in Minnesota two weeks before.

The agents targeted Carvajal-Muñoz based on his race or ethnicity, and had no legal basis to stop, detain, or arrest him. The only information agents had about him was his appearance and the fact that the vehicle was registered in his name. There was no warrant for his arrest or evidence that he had committed, or was going to commit, a crime or an immigration law violation.

Throughout the 16-hour ordeal, agents physically and psychologically harmed Carvajal-Munoz. Agents refused to release him and instead detained him for hours without any justification – even after agents investigated and confirmed Carvajal-Muñoz’s lawful immigration status, and even after agents were expressly instructed to release him.

Carvajal-Muñoz was placed in shackles and moved between various unmarked vehicles and locations in Maine and Massachusetts, alongside other detainees, all of whom were people of color. At one point, agents engaged in what appeared to be a cruel "joke," pretending to return him to Portland, only to then turn around and drive him to an ICE facility in Burlington, MA.

1. Suspicionless Stop & Unlawful Arrest (Fourth Amendment): Agents had no reasonable suspicion for stopping Carvajal-Muñoz. He had lawful immigration status, and he had not broken any laws. Despite Mr. Carvajal-Muñoz complying with agents’ orders and presenting a valid REAL ID, which is only issued to immigrants with lawful status, agents arrested him without probable cause.
2. Excessive Force (Fourth Amendment): Agents smashed Mr. Carvajal-Muñoz’s car window with a crowbar and forcibly dragged him out of his vehicle at taser-point, even though he posed no safety threat and complied with their demands.
3. Prolonged & Unjustified Detention (Fourth Amendment): Carvajal-Muñoz was held for over 16 hours. Even after agents confirmed his lawful status and were instructed to release him, they continued to detain him without justification, violating his right to be free from unreasonable seizure.
4. Racial Profiling (Fifth Amendment): Agents detained Mr. Carvajal-Muñoz with no reasonable suspicion of any crime or immigration violation. They detained him for no reason other than his apparent race, skin color, or ethnicity.

The Maine Civil Rights Act allows people to bring claims against federal officers for violations of federal law. Specifically, it affords a cause of action for violations of “the rights secured by the United States Constitution” by “any person.” In general, claims against federal officials are brought against the United States, but there is a crucial exception in federal statute. The Westfall Act of 1988 states this limitation on remedies against federal officials “does not extend or apply to a civil action against an employee of the Government [] which is brought for a violation of the Constitution of the United States.”

The Supreme Court allowed some types of actions against federal officers for federal constitutional violations in its 1971 Bivens decision, but the court has sharply narrowed that in recent years. Re-establishing the ability to bring claims under state law could reopen a crucial avenue for people to seek justice when the federal government violates their constitutional rights.