American Citizen Detained Twice by ICE Demands Accountability from Federal Government
Leonardo García Venegas, an American citizen, is demanding the federal government cease “aggressive raids” at work sites after being detained twice by Immigration and customs Enforcement (ICE). García’s legal complaint, spearheaded by the Institute for Justice, alleges that ICE raids conducted without search warrants and detentions made without reasonable suspicion violate the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution and exceed the statutory powers of immigration agents.
The case highlights a growing concern among American citizens and legal residents who report being wrongly targeted during ICE operations. García’s demand for accountability comes amid reports of other Americans being mistakenly swept up in immigration enforcement, including a disabled U.S. Army veteran, George Retes, detained during a July 10 raid at a Camarillo, California farm, and an American minor arrested outside his school and later released after being confused for a gang member.
García, a construction worker, initiated a collective demand to prevent further wrongful detentions.According to a statement from the Institute for Justice sent to univision News, the core of García’s complaint centers on the legality of ICE’s tactics. “The fundamental essence of Leo’s legal complaint is that the federal government in its raids without a search order and captures without suspicion of people working in these works violates the fourth amendment of the Constitution.In addition the statutory powers of the immigration agents are exceeded,” the statement reads.
In a video released by the organization, García stated his motivation for pursuing legal action: “so that he does not happen to other people like me. What I want is to achieve justice.” the outcome of García’s demand could set a precedent for protecting the rights of American workers and citizens during ICE enforcement activities.
