Body and dash camera video from the Helena Police Department obtained by the Independent Record shows the July 1, 2025, traffic stop that led to the detention of Christopher Martinez Marvan by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The video shows police originally pulled Martinez over for an expired license plate tag but that immigration officers quickly begin to question him about his immigration status when he cannot produce an ID. Lawyers for Martinez have alleged he was detained in violation of the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable search and seizure, while the U.S. attorney’s office maintains he should be deported because he has illegally entered and remained in the country several times.
Near the end of the video, the HPD officer returns to his vehicle and says to someone off-camera, “He’s getting deported.” Another HPD officer then comes to the officer’s window, leans in and says with a grin: “He’s being kidnapped right