Two LA Protesters Convicted of Stalking ICE Agent

Case tests limits of protests against Trump immigration policies

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Two Los Angeles protesters, Ashleigh Brown and Cynthia Raygoza, were convicted of stalking a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent after they followed him to his Baldwin Park home. A third defendant, Sandra Samane, was acquitted. The case stemmed from an incident where the women followed an unmarked government vehicle from downtown LA to the agent's home, live-streaming the encounter on Instagram and calling on followers to protest. The agent, Rogelio Reyes Huitzilin, said his family has lived in fear since the incident, with one son opting for homeschooling and his autistic younger son losing access to needed school services. However, no other protesters came to the home and no further incidents occurred.

Why it matters

This case tests the limits of protest tactics against the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement actions. While following ICE and Border Patrol agents to enforcement sites has become common, this appears to be the first instance of protesters confronting a federal agent at their home. The verdict could set a precedent for how far protesters can go in targeting individual agents.

The details

Brown and Raygoza were found guilty of one count of stalking but acquitted of conspiring to publish protected personal information. Samane was fully acquitted. Prosecutors had aggressively charged over 100 protesters with assaulting or impeding immigration agents, but this was the first case they took to trial and won. Video evidence showed the women following the agent's vehicle and confronting him at his home, where they hurled insults and racial slurs at him and his wife.

  • On August 28, 2025, the three women followed the agent's vehicle from downtown LA to his home in Baldwin Park.
  • In December 2025, the LA County DA's office declined to charge Raygoza with battery.
  • In late 2025, a Homeland Security investigator informed prosecutors of an error in listing the agent's home address, leading to the doxing charge being dropped.

The players

Ashleigh Brown

One of the two protesters convicted of stalking the ICE agent.

Cynthia Raygoza

One of the two protesters convicted of stalking the ICE agent.

Sandra Samane

The third protester who was acquitted of all charges.

Rogelio Reyes Huitzilin

The ICE agent who was the target of the stalking incident, a federal agent and military combat veteran.

Bill Essayli

The First Assistant U.S. Attorney who has aggressively charged protesters against the Trump administration's immigration actions.

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What they’re saying

“I was disgusted that my wife and I were being subjected to that level of racism.”

— Rogelio Reyes Huitzilin, ICE Agent (Los Angeles Times)

“They never mention him by name. They didn't know his name. The agent made this whole situation about himself.”

— Gregory Nicolaysen, Attorney for Cynthia Raygoza (Los Angeles Times)

“Free speech still exists in this country. The federal government cannot criminalize political speech protesting ICE activities.”

— Robert Bernstein, Attorney for Sandra Samane (Los Angeles Times)

What’s next

The defendants' attorneys have vowed to appeal the convictions, arguing the stalking charge cannot be proven since the interaction lasted only 90 minutes.

The takeaway

This case highlights the tensions between protesters' First Amendment rights to demonstrate against immigration enforcement and the government's efforts to protect the personal safety of federal agents. The verdict could set an important precedent on the limits of protest tactics targeting individual officials.