Infant left covered in broken glass after ICE arrests father in Maine

Terrified West African asylum-seeking family stranded after immigration agents smash car window

Jan. 29, 2026 at 4:47pm

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A 38-year-old West African asylum seeker was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Portland, Maine, leaving his 1-month-old infant and the child's mother stranded in the car. The agents smashed the car window, spraying the baby's car seat with broken glass, before taking the father away and leaving the mother and child alone in the cold.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the traumatic impact that aggressive immigration enforcement tactics can have on vulnerable families, including young children. It also raises concerns about the Trump administration's surge of federal agents to Maine and the broader debate over ICE funding and policies.

The details

According to reports, Hassane Barry and his wife Nene, both asylum seekers from Guinea, were driving home from an appointment to get their infant a passport when they were suddenly boxed in by four unmarked police cars. ICE agents then smashed the car window and took Hassane into custody, ignoring his wife's pleas about their baby. Nene, who does not have a driver's license and speaks little English, was left alone in the car with the crying, glass-covered infant.

  • The incident occurred on January 21, 2026 in Portland, Maine.
  • Hassane Barry has been in the U.S. as an asylum seeker since 2023.

The players

Hassane Barry

A 38-year-old West African asylum seeker who was arrested by ICE agents in Portland, Maine, leaving his wife and infant child stranded in the car.

Nene Barry

Hassane Barry's wife, an asylum seeker from West Africa who was left alone in the car with the couple's 1-month-old infant after her husband was arrested by ICE.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal immigration enforcement agency that conducted the arrest operation in Portland, Maine as part of the Trump administration's surge of federal agents to the state.

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What they’re saying

“There was a car seat in the back with one of those baby blankets you get at the hospital. There were broken glass shards all over it. I carefully pulled back the blanket and there was just this tiny peanut of a baby. He was crying. I picked him up and hushed him, told him it was gonna be OK. He nuzzled into my neck and stopped crying. I almost broke down right then and there.”

— Anonymous witness

“I have a baby!”

— Nene Barry, Hassane Barry's wife

What’s next

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has announced that the Trump administration has agreed to de-escalate the immigration enforcement operation in Maine, but Maine Democrats are criticizing her for supporting a DHS funding bill that would increase ICE budgets.

The takeaway

This traumatic incident underscores the human cost of aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, especially when they involve the separation of families and the endangerment of young children. It raises urgent questions about the balance between immigration policy and the wellbeing of vulnerable populations.