An army veteran detained by federal immigration agents in southern California during his work commute in July has filed a lawsuit against the federal government.
According to the lawsuit, filed on Wednesday with the help of the nonprofit law firm Institute for Justice, George Retes was held in a detention center for three days without access to his family, an attorney, or any information about the charges against him, in what the suit argues was an unconstitutional detention.
Retes, a 26-year-old US citizen, was arrested while on his way to his job as a security guard at a farm in Ventura county, where a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents was underway on 10 July. After Retes attempted to explain to agents blocking the roadway that he needed to get through to work, agents shattered his car window, removed him from the vehicle, and detained Retes without checking his identification. He was later held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles without a clear explanation of his detainment.
"George’s rights were violated, and he is filing this lawsuit, not only to protect his own rights, but to have the rights of others be protected too,” Andrew Wimer, director of media relations at the Institute for Justice, told the Guardian. “What happened to George is clearly wrong. No one can be held for three days without being told what they’ve done wrong, without being charged with a crime. Americans deserve justice when their rights have been violated.”