US Citizen Sues After ICE Detains Him Twice

A construction worker born in Florida and now living in Baldwin County, Alabama, is suing the federal government after being detained twice by immigration authorities, despite being an American citizen. Leonardo Garcia Venegas alleges in his proposed class-action lawsuit that he was unlawfully arrested at two construction sites this year, incidents he says stem from what he calls a pattern of immigration raids unfairly targeting Latino workers, per ABC News.

According to the complaint, both arrests, one in May and one in June, unfolded after armed immigration officers arrived at job sites and, Venegas claims, bypassed non-Latino workers to focus on those who appeared Latino. In the May incident, Venegas says he was arrested after pulling out his phone to record the detention of his brother, who was also at the worksite, per AL.com. In both instances, Venegas says he identified himself as a US citizen and presented his REAL ID, but wasn't released immediately.

The suit argues these actions violated his Fourth Amendment rights and are part of a broader policy that allows immigration officers to conduct sweeping searches and seizures without warrants. Venegas' legal team asserts that the Department of Homeland Security authorizes these operations based on assumptions about workers' immigration status, leading to what the lawsuit characterizes as discriminatory enforcement. The complaint cites 19 other cases where citizens or legal residents were allegedly detained under similar circumstances.

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"When he goes to work on private property, Leo expects the freedom, as an American, to work in peace," his complaint states, per the Alabama Reflector. DHS, for its part, disputes the allegations. A spokesperson said that US citizens aren't arrested or deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless they obstruct law enforcement efforts, per ABC. DHS claims that Venegas was detained because he interfered with the arrest of another individual, not due to his citizenship status. No charges were ultimately filed against Venegas. "It feels like there is nothing I can do to stop immigration agents from arresting me whenever they want," he says in a release, per the Reflector.