Los Angeles man blinded by officer’s projectile at anti-ICE protest, claim says

Jesus Gomez Islas at the Los Angeles office of his attorney. ‘I’m absolutely devastated, frustrated and betrayed,’ he said. Photograph: Sam Levin/The Guardian

A 23-year-old Los Angeles man who attended a recent immigration protest outside a federal building says he was blinded in one eye by a law enforcement projectile.

Jesus Javier Gomez Islas filed a claim against the LA police department (LAPD) on Thursday stemming from permanent injuries he says he suffered at a 31 January demonstration outside the Metropolitan Detention Center. The federal facility has been the site of frequent protests against Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and was the site of “ICE Out” rallies that week.