Veteran Sues Trump Administration After ICE Detained Him
This is how the Trump administration treats its veterans: attack them, arrest them, and leave them without any way to legally defend themselves.
That’s what happened to George Retes, a 26-year-old Army veteran who was arrested by ICE officials on his way to work in July, according to a trial filed Wednesday.
Retes, a U.S. citizen and father of two, was driving to a farm in Ventura County, California, on July 10, where he was supposed to work as a security guard. As he approached the farm, crowds of protesters and federal agents blocked the road. He tried to explain that he had to go to work, but the message – and his legal residency – didn’t matter.
ICE agents followed him to his vehicle, where they knocked on his doors and gave him conflicting information. One officer told him to “back up,” while another officer told him to “pull over to the side,” according to an opinion piece Retes wrote for the newspaper. Chronicle of San Francisco in September.
As the situation worsened, police fired tear gas at nearby protesters. The chemical irritant filled Retes’ car, causing him to choke.
“Suddenly, an officer broke my window and pepper sprayed me,” Retes wrote. “I was pulled from the car and one officer knelt on my neck while another kneeled on my back.”
The veteran was tied up and left in the dirt for several hours before the agency sent him to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. They never bothered to verify his identity.
Retes was detained for three days, during which he was deprived of basic rights afforded to suspected criminals, according to his lawyers. “He was not allowed to receive a phone call, have access to an attorney or a hearing. He was also subjected to inhumane treatment, not being allowed to take a shower to wash his body of irritating chemicals,” the lawsuit states.
Additionally, this unjustified and violent fiasco prevented Retes from missing his daughter’s third birthday and “exacerbated the injuries he had sustained during his military service.”
Worse still, Retes never received an explanation for his arrest or continued detention at MDC, according to the lawsuit.
“The police, for their part, showed no interest in confirming George’s story,” the lawsuit states. “No officer suggested he broke any law either. And no officer perceived him as a threat.”
The lawsuit was filed against the U.S. government, targeting unnamed individuals at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Navy, the FBI, and Customs and Border Protection.
“George’s rights have been violated and he is filing this lawsuit not only to protect his own rights, but also to ensure the rights of others are protected as well,” said Andrew Wimer, director of media relations at the Institute for Justice. The guardian. “What happened to George is clearly wrong. No one can be detained for three days without being told what they did wrong, without being charged with a crime. Americans deserve justice when their rights have been violated.”
