Family Demands Probe After ICE Raid in Lower Providence

Guadalupe Cuevas Lopez says agents terrorized her family, including her 8- and 13-year-old brothers, during the operation.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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A Montgomery County family is demanding accountability and an independent investigation after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol agents raided their home in Lower Providence Township on Monday. Guadalupe Cuevas Lopez said agents surrounded the home, broke down the door, and pointed guns at her younger brothers during the operation to detain her cousin, Jose Manuel Cordova Lopez, who overstayed his visa.

Why it matters

The incident has left the family traumatized, with the children shaken and the family dog and cat still reacting to the raid. Advocates are calling for the agents involved to be fired and for local officials to pass laws limiting collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

The details

According to Cuevas Lopez, the agents followed Cordova Lopez's car back to the house after he left for work, blocked him in, and then demanded that Cuevas Lopez open the door, which she refused to do without a warrant. The agents then broke down the door, pointed guns at the children, and arrested Cordova Lopez. Cuevas Lopez said the agents also hit her in the face and damaged the home.

  • The raid occurred on Monday, February 9, 2026.
  • Cordova Lopez's visa expired in December 2021.

The players

Guadalupe Cuevas Lopez

A 26-year-old resident of Lower Providence Township who was present during the ICE raid on her family's home.

Jose Manuel Cordova Lopez

Cuevas Lopez's cousin, who was the target of the ICE raid and was detained by agents.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal agency that conducted the raid on the family's home.

U.S. Border Patrol

The federal agency that assisted ICE in the raid on the family's home.

Lower Providence Police Department

The local law enforcement agency that advocates say collaborated with federal agents during the raid.

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What they’re saying

“I was just like, 'No, like, I know my rights,' I know what I'm supposed to do. I'm not gonna open the door without a warrant.”

— Guadalupe Cuevas Lopez (WHYY News)

“When they came in, they started pointing their guns at [her brothers]. What 8 year old is gonna have another gun to protect himself, you know what I mean? Like, why are you aiming guns at little kids?”

— Guadalupe Cuevas Lopez (WHYY News)

“What happened to this family is not an isolated tragedy. It's one of hundreds of stories unfolding in our towns and neighborhoods, families navigating trauma, children navigating fear, communities navigating injustice at the hands of a federal enforcement system that treats constitutional rights and human dignity as optional.”

— Stephanie Vincent, of rapid response network MontCo Community Watch (WHYY News)

What’s next

The Lower Providence Township Board of Supervisors and the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners are being called on to pass laws that would limit local law enforcement's ability to collaborate with federal immigration authorities.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the trauma and fear experienced by immigrant families in the region due to increased immigration enforcement activity, and the need for stronger protections and accountability measures to prevent such raids from occurring in the future.