A Massachusetts family is accusing federal immigration agents of using their little girl as bait, after video captured a chaotic scene outside their Leominster home in which ICE officers held a 5-year-old while calling for her dad to come out. The father, identified by relatives as Edward Hip, a Guatemalan immigrant who has lived in the United States for 22 years, had fled into the residence following a brief pursuit, and agents allegedly kept his daughter outside to pressure him to surrender.
The clip, recorded Tuesday, shows masked agents and frantic relatives, with anguished screams rising as an officer shouts toward the home, “Is that your daughter, come here so I can see those IDs.” The exchange, first reported by local media, unfolds as the camera pans to the child, who family members say was terrified in the standoff.
@nbc10bostonA Guatemalan family from Leominster, Massachusetts, says federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained their 5-year-old daughter outside their home to pressure her father to surrender.♬ original sound – NBC10 Boston
According to the family, the confrontation began after agents chased Hip to the parking area outside their residence, and he darted inside. That is when, they say, officers grabbed the girl, holding her in view while demanding Hip emerge. Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra aired the same footage, with relatives pleading for agents to release the child as neighbors gathered and the scene grew tense.
Reports state that Hip is from Guatemala and has been in the country for more than two decades, details that have fueled local outrage over the tactics seen on camera. Advocates called the move alarming, saying it crossed a red line by pulling a small child into an arrest operation. The family told reporters the girl has been shaken since the incident, and that they want an investigation into how the operation was handled.
Join ICE and you too can hold kids hostage to get their parents! https://t.co/LUGsxDGAvZ pic.twitter.com/fPN8ojfPrA
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) September 23, 2025
ICE did not immediately provide a detailed public account of the episode, and questions remain about the underlying case, including what charges or removal order, if any, agents were attempting to execute on Hip. The agency’s policies have shifted in recent years around enforcement near sensitive locations like schools and homes, but on the street, tactics can vary widely by field office, case priority, and perceived safety risks, which often leads to flashpoint moments like this one. Coverage of other recent Massachusetts encounters shows how quickly routine stops can spiral when families or bystanders get involved, and when agents push ahead with arrests in public spaces.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nAZ7JmZuAwE
What is clear from the video is the hardball posture, the child outside, the father inside, and agents leveraging the standstill to force a decision. “Is that your daughter,” the officer repeats, a line already ricocheting across social media as critics argue the government weaponized a 5-year-old’s fear to make an arrest. Supporters of tougher enforcement say officers often face risky, fast-moving situations, and split-second calls can look brutal on camera even when they are legal, but detractors contend there must be bright lines when minors are involved.
By Monday, the Leominster clip had drawn national pickup from outlets monitoring immigration enforcement, with additional reports highlighting the family’s claims. Local leaders are now weighing whether to seek formal answers from ICE about the choices made, the training behind them, and whether child welfare protocols were followed on scene. For Edward Hip’s family, the outrage is not theoretical, it is the memory of a girl screaming outside her own home while strangers in tactical vests called for her father to come out.
