Additional Coverage:
Foley, Alabama – A US citizen says he was wrongly detained, roughly handcuffed, and accused of having a fake ID during an ICE raid at a construction site. Leonardo García Venegas, 25, was working at the site when ICE agents descended. A video of the incident aired by Telemundo appears to show officers forcefully restraining García Venegas as someone yells, “He’s a citizen!”
García Venegas, born in Florida to Mexican parents, insists he presented his REAL ID, but claims officers dismissed it as a forgery. “They told me it was fake,” he said in an interview.
“They handcuffed me, and they handcuffed me really tight.” His cousin, Shelah Venegas, echoed his account, expressing disbelief that a REAL ID could be considered invalid.
“We all made sure we have the REAL ID… He has his REAL ID, and then they see him, and I guess because his English isn’t fluent and/or because he’s brown, it’s fake, it’s not real.”
The Department of Homeland Security paints a different picture. According to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, García Venegas “interfered with an arrest” and “physically got in between agents and the subject they were attempting to arrest.”
She added that anyone obstructing law enforcement faces potential arrest, regardless of citizenship. García Venegas denies interfering.
While García Venegas was eventually released, the incident left him shaken, particularly given the simultaneous arrest of his brother, who is undocumented. He has expressed interest in legal action but has reportedly been told that such cases against federal agents are difficult to pursue.
This incident comes amidst allegations from Chicago activists and attorneys that ICE agents have violated the rights of 22 individuals, including a US citizen, during recent immigration enforcement actions. These alleged violations pertain to a 2022 agreement limiting “collateral arrests” during ICE operations in several Midwestern states.