A Benton County woman and her adult son have filed a federal lawsuit accusing Centerton police officers of unlawfully detaining them during a traffic stop in March 2025. The suit alleges constitutional violations by three officers after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents requested assistance, despite both individuals presenting valid identification.
Maria Guadalupe Rodriguez and her son, Jose Ricardo Munoz, filed the complaint last week, stating their Fourth Amendment rights were violated when they were arrested without proper cause. According to the lawsuit, Officer William McCain conducted the initial stop, alleging a minor traffic infraction, which Rodriguez denies. After confirming her valid Arkansas driver's license and Munoz’s state-issued ID, officers nonetheless arrested them on suspicion of immigration violations.
The filing contends the arrests were based on an alleged misidentification involving an “Immigration Administrative Arrest Warrant” issued by ICE for someone with a similar name. Munoz, who is incapacitated and under Rodriguez’s guardianship, was not named in that warrant. Both were taken to the Centerton Police Department before being released without charges when their U.S. citizenship was confirmed.
McCain’s report stated the arrests were made at ICE’s request. However, the plaintiffs argue that Centerton police lacked legal authority to detain them under immigration laws, as Centerton is not one of the 44 Arkansas municipalities participating in the 287(g) federal program. This program allows specific local law enforcement agencies to perform certain immigration enforcement tasks under agreements with ICE, but Centerton has no such arrangement, according to ICE’s website.
The lawsuit further disputes Centerton’s policies on towing and impounding vehicles, alleging their car was seized without proper legal justification. During the traffic stop, Rodriguez’s adult daughter—who holds a valid Arkansas driver’s license—was reportedly prevented from retrieving the vehicle, resulting in an impound fee of approximately $300.
Rodriguez and Munoz are seeking monetary damages and a jury trial. The named defendants include Chief of Police Cody Harper, who has not commented publicly, along with officers McCain, Larry McConnell, and Joan Mosquera.
This case joins broader discussions about immigration policies in Arkansas and nationwide, particularly as recent state laws require local jurisdictions to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in specific circumstances. In Arkansas, interactions like these have come under scrutiny due to confusion over local law enforcement’s role in immigration enforcement and concerns about rights violations.
Rodriguez and Munoz maintain their detentions amounted to unreasonable searches and seizures, with their attorney emphasizing that guilt by association does not constitute probable cause under U.S. law.