A Florida-born American citizen has filed a federal lawsuit after being wrongfully detained by immigration enforcement agents three separate times despite repeatedly proving his citizenship status.
Pattern of Detentions
Leo Garcia Venegas, a 26-year-old construction worker from Florida, experienced his first detention in May 2025 when Homeland Security Investigations officers raided a construction site in Foley, Alabama. Agents targeted Latino workers at the private worksite where Garcia Venegas was laying concrete foundations. When he attempted to film the interaction and show his identification papers, agents dismissed his documents as fake and detained him for over an hour, according to court filings in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama.
The second detention occurred at another construction site. Most recently, in May 2026, Garcia Venegas was stopped outside a residence while driving a vehicle registered to his undocumented brother. Despite offering to retrieve his American passport from inside the house and presenting his Alabama STAR ID, agents refused and detained him again. Officers searched his wallet and had drug-sniffing dogs inspect the vehicle before releasing him.
Growing Problem Under Current Administration
Garcia Venegas represents part of a broader pattern affecting American citizens caught in immigration enforcement operations. According to a ProPublica review, at least 170 U.S. citizens were held by immigration agents during the first nine months of the second Trump presidency. The Institute for Justice, representing Garcia Venegas, argues these detentions violate constitutional protections afforded to American citizens. His attorney, Jared McClain, stated that Garcia Venegas simply wants to work and live peacefully without fear of arbitrary detention.
Constitutional Questions Raised
The case raises significant questions about due process and the protection of citizenship rights during immigration enforcement operations. Garcia Venegas described living in constant fear of further baseless detentions while going about daily activities. DHS officials claimed Garcia Venegas physically obstructed agents during the first incident, though video evidence shows him offering to present identification documents. The lawsuit filed in September 2025 challenges the legality of repeatedly detaining a documented American citizen without probable cause, setting up a potential test of executive authority versus constitutional protections.
