George Retes, a U.S. citizen and Iraq War veteran, says he was wrongfully detained by ICE during a workplace raid in Ventura County, alleging tear gas, pepper spray, a broken car window and three days in solitary. Retes was released without a phone call or attorney and has filed a lawsuit claiming constitutional violations and negligence. Rep. Mark Takano invited him to attend the State of the Union to highlight what they call heavy-handed immigration enforcement amid broader controversy over recent deportation operations.
Army Veteran Who Says He Was Wrongfully Detained by ICE To Attend State of the Union
Army veteran and U.S. citizen George Retes was detained by federal agents last year. He will attend the State of the Union address Tuesday as a guest of Rep. Mark Takano, D-California. (Courtesy of Institute for Justice via Canva)
George Retes, a U.S. citizen and Iraq War veteran, will attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union as a guest after saying he was wrongfully detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near his Ventura County workplace last year.
Retes, 26, a former E-4 who served in Iraq from 2019 to 2020 and was honorably discharged in 2022, says he pulled over to identify himself to agents and explain he needed to get to work as a security officer. He says agents surrounded his vehicle, deployed tear gas behind it, issued conflicting driving instructions, broke a car window, sprayed him with pepper spray and forced him to the ground.
According to Retes, officers would not allow him to retrieve his wallet to show identification. He says he was placed in a vehicle with other detainees, taken to Port Hueneme for processing and then transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, where he spent three days on solitary suicide watch after being assessed as a danger by a social worker. Retes says he was released without being offered a phone call or access to an attorney.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has disputed Retes's account. In October, DHS called the claim of wrongful detention a 'false claim,' saying Retes became violent, refused to comply with officers and blocked their route; officials said he was arrested on an assault charge. Retes denies these characterizations and has filed a lawsuit against the federal government alleging constitutional violations and negligence.
'They can't just say whatever they want and [it] be okay. I represent everyone else this is happening to,' Retes told Military Times, explaining why he accepted an invitation from Rep. Mark Takano to attend the address.
Rep. Takano, the ranking Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, invited Retes to spotlight what he calls the administration's 'heavy-handed immigration policies.' 'George Retes is a U.S. citizen and an Iraq War veteran, and yet he was treated like an enemy by his own government,' Takano said in a statement.
The case comes amid an expanded deportation campaign that ICE says has resulted in nearly 400,000 arrests, roughly 60% of whom had prior charges or convictions. Critics note that the remaining detainees include people living in the U.S. without authorization, asylum seekers and some U.S. citizens; press reports say at least eight American veterans have been detained in recent operations.
Public concern intensified after the killing of two Minneapolis residents, including a Veterans Affairs nurse, during enforcement actions in January. An Associated Press–NORC poll in February found that roughly six in 10 U.S. adults believed immigration enforcement operations had 'gone too far,' and about 62% said the administration overstepped by sending immigration agents into U.S. cities and deploying federal officers at protests.
Retes says he wants the violence to end and hopes his appearance at the State of the Union draws attention to the broader issue. The address is scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern and will air on major networks and stream online.
Help us improve.
