George Retes is a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran who served a tour in Iraq. On July 10, while on his way to work as a security guard at a Southern California cannabis farm, he was detained by federal immigration agents, Retes told Conor Friedersdorf—despite telling them that he is an American citizen and that his wallet and identification were in his nearby car.⁠
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Retes was held in a jail cell for three days and was not allowed to make a phone call, see an attorney, appear before a judge, or take a shower to wash off pepper spray and tear gas that the agents had used, according to a public-interest law firm representing Retes.⁠
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Retes is seeking relief under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows private parties to sue for negligent or wrongful acts committed by federal employees acting within their job. “There must be some avenue to hold the federal government or its officers liable for violating George’s constitutional rights,” Marie Miller, one of Retes’s attorneys, told Friedersdorf.⁠
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ICE did not respond to Friedersdorf’s request for comment about Retes’s claim, but a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security put out a statement after the raid in which he was swept up, saying that the “U.S. Attorney’s Office is reviewing his case, along with dozens of others, for potential federal charges related to the execution of the federal search warrant in Camarillo.”⁠
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At the link in our bio, read Friedersdorf’s interview with Retes about his detainment and why he’s pursuing legal action against the government.⁠
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📸: @_carlosjaramillo_ for The Atlantic