SALT LAKE CITY — Danilo Beltran was headed work last year when he was pulled over by an unmarked police car.
A video of the encounter that Beltran shared with FOX 13 News shows a man in a vest that said "police" asking for his ID.
"You match the description of someone we're looking for," the man who identified himself as "Officer Curtis" said.
Beltran said he demanded to see a warrant.
"We need to see a warrant if you’re looking for someone," Beltran said.
"I need to see your ID," the officer replied.
After arguing with them for about 20 minutes, Beltran said he and others in the car were pulled out and taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. After that, he said, he was taken to a jail and then flown out of Salt Lake City to Louisiana, then a detention center in Texas where he remained for 38 days before being released on an immigration bond.
ICE plans to buy vehicle stopping device after fatal pursuits:
In an interview with FOX 13 News, Beltran claimed he was subjected to poor conditions that led to him getting sick and added he is still dealing with the effects of his detention. Scripps News, the parent company of FOX 13 News, has reported extensively on conditions and allegations of abuses at the camp where Beltran said he was at. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has disputed the claims in prior statements to Scripps News.
Beltran, who is now facing deportation to El Salvador for overstaying a tourism visa, said he has been in the United States with his family since 2021. He said he came to the U.S. to escape extortion and threats of violence.
"I have nothing in my criminal records," He said. "Not a ticket, a traffic or speeding ticket, nothing."
A bill being drafted in the upcoming session of the Utah State Legislature could open the door for people like Beltran, who feel that their constitutional rights were violated, to look at filing a personal injury lawsuit against ICE agents and other federal officers. Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said she is exploring waiving what's called "governmental immunity," that offers protections for officers from litigation as a result of their duties.
But Sen. Escamilla said she has been disturbed by reports from across the country and from her constituents about ICE agents' treatment of people.
"It is very unfair that federal officers can just walk in the state of Utah and decide that they're not going to follow policies and procedures and let alone the Constitution," she said in a recent interview with FOX 13 News. "So we're just asking for a bare minimum, saying, 'Hey, if you're going to violate the Constitution and be disregarding people's constitutional rights? Then you're opening yourself for that liability.'"
Sen. Escamilla said Utah peace officers are certified by the state and are held to certain standards. She believed that for ICE and other federal officers, the threat of litigation could lead to a change in behavior. But the Senate Minority Leader also acknowledged that even if her bill passed the Republican supermajority legislature, there would still be hurdles for anyone — undocumented or otherwise — to actually pursue such a lawsuit and prove their claims of a rights violation.
"It would not be criminal. But it will also allow for that mechanism to say, look they didn't follow any of the protocols that are inside already their policy and procedures, but are not being followed," Sen. Escamilla said. "There's just absolutely no accountability and that's what we're seeking here."
When contacted by FOX 13 News, ICE referred questions about the pending legislation to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Beltran said he would support such a bill.
"I think it's going to be a good tool for people that feel that their rights were violated," he said.
As he prepares for his next immigration court hearing that could decide his fate, Beltran said he wanted people to know who is being detained.
"I think is important for the rest of the people, undocumented or not, to be aware that this is happening not to the 'worst of the worst,' but hardworking people like me," he said. "People that decided to move to another country, contribute, pay taxes, to provide for their families."
Sen. Escamilla said she has been having conversations with her Republican colleagues about the bill to drum up support. The bill is expected to be unveiled for the 2027 Utah State Legislature that begins in January.
