An army veteran and U.S. citizen, George Retes, has sued the U.S. government after being detained for three days by federal immigration agents during a July 10 commute in Ventura County. The Institute for Justice filed the complaint, alleging Retes was held without access to family, a lawyer, or information about charges and was released with no explanation. The suit names multiple federal agencies and highlights legal hurdles to suing federal officers and concerns about detentions of military veterans. The case is pending in federal court.
Army Veteran Sues Federal Government After Three-Day ICE Detention
George Retes was arrested on his way to his job as a security guard at a farm in Ventura county, California.Photograph: Courtesy of Institute for Justice(Photograph: Courtesy of Institute for Justice)
An army veteran and U.S. citizen, George Retes, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was unlawfully detained by federal immigration agents during his commute in Ventura County on July 10. The complaint, filed with legal support from the nonprofit Institute for Justice, says Retes was held for three days without access to family, counsel, or an explanation for his detention.
According to the complaint, Retes, 26, was on his way to work as a security guard at a farm when agents conducting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid blocked the roadway. The suit alleges that when Retes explained he needed to get to his job, agents smashed his car window, removed him from the vehicle and detained him without checking identification. He was later held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles and was not told the reason for his confinement.
"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," said Andrew Wimer, director of media relations at the Institute for Justice.
In an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle, Retes wrote that he missed his daughter's third birthday. "Then I was just let go, with no charges, no explanation for why and no apology," he said.
The lawsuit names the United States government (which oversees the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the detention facility), ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Navy and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as defendants.
Legal experts noted in the filing that while state and local officers can more readily be sued for constitutional violations, bringing suits against federal agents has become increasingly difficult. The complaint cites decades of Supreme Court decisions that have narrowed circumstances under which federal officers can be sued, and the Institute for Justice says it expects the government will assert immunities and seek early dismissal.
Wimer acknowledged the case could be a prolonged legal fight but added that the Institute will represent Retes without charging him, allowing the firm to pursue the matter on public-interest grounds.
Advocates say Retes's lawsuit contributes to growing concern over federal detentions of U.S. military veterans. Reporting has documented other incidents in which veterans were detained, prosecuted, or sought damages after encounters with federal agents.
The lawsuit remains pending in federal court as Retes and his attorneys seek answers and accountability. The Guardian has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
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