Watch: Lynden man arrested in Homeland Security raid; partner unable to reach him
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- DHS arrested Lynden resident Jesus Alejandro Lopez Ruiz and moved him to ICE custody.
- Partner reports agents seized her phone and truck and held her for hours.
- Community leaders allege intimidation and call for transparency from DHS and ICE.
A Lynden man has been taken into federal custody following his arrest Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Jesus Alejandro Lopez Ruiz, 29, was wanted for assault on law enforcement, according to a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. Bystander video captured an armored vehicle and about a dozen agents swarming the Lynden apartment complex where Ruiz lives and breaking down his door.
He was booked into Whatcom County Jail just after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the jail roster, which also indicates he was transferred to federal custody at 10:42 a.m. Thursday.
Ruiz’s partner, Jocelyn Peña, said she was told by investigators that Ruiz was taken to the ICE detention center in Tacoma. She said she has not been able to reach him since he was transferred.
ICE and DHS did not respond to requests from The Herald for information.
Ruiz was initially contacted by unmarked vehicles in Ferndale two weeks ago, Peña said. Ruiz drove off and was chased by what local organizers believe were agents with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). During the pursuit, a pursuing agent struck another vehicle, according to Racial Unity Now Executive Director Jeremy Dorrough.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue confirmed that a driver was hit at a Lynden intersection on Oct. 15 and taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital. The fire officials did not say whether a federal vehicle was involved.
Since that incident, Peña said they both noticed other unmarked vehicles following them. She said she’s had to record herself when she’s out alone in case something happens.
Peña told The Herald she is a U.S. citizen, and she said Ruiz has lived in the U.S. since he was age 5.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office assisted in Wednesday’s arrest.
“This morning, Homeland Security Investigations requested the assistance of WCSO in serving an arrest warrant for felony assault on law enforcement,” Deb Slater with the Sheriff’s Office said in an email Wednesday. “This request was for on-scene perimeter and communication assistance.”
After Ruiz was taken into custody, Peña said an officer took her outside of her workplace to question her. She said she was taken to a building in Ferndale and told she was under investigation. She said federal agents took her phone and truck without warrants.
“I felt like I was what you see on TV when they interview somebody who’s a murderer,” she said.
Peña said she was threatened with jail time and held in Ferndale for roughly five hours.
“I went from going to work to apparently needing to hire a lawyer,” she said. “People need to be aware that these people are doing whatever they want and not being held accountable at all.”
Dorrough said DHS “suggested (Thursday) that they may drop the charge” against Ruiz, and instead move to deport him. The Herald reached out to DHS for confirmation but received no response.
“We are deeply concerned by what appears to be a pattern of intimidation and retaliation against a U.S. citizen and Lynden community member,” Dorrough said in a statement. “Every person in Whatcom County, regardless of citizenship status, deserves to be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.”
Editor’s note (10/31): This article has been updated to include the name of Jocelyn Peña, who originally requested anonymity.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 10:27 AM.
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